'FASTBALL AND A CHANGE-UP'

Tyler Toffoli has a gift.
And no, it's not the natural ability that makes him one of the NHL's premiere snipers - a 'one-shot scorer,' as Darryl Sutter so often reminds.
It's true that he possesses a killer release that can hit the tiniest of pockets at wicked velocity, but he wouldn't have near the same success with that package if not for the raptorial mindset of a hunter.
He wants to be that guy. The hero.
The one who steps up and craves the opportunity with the puck on his stick.

"When I first broke into the league - obviously, Darryl was the coach back then, too - and he harps on shooting, getting pucks through and all those things," Toffoli said following Sunday's morning skate. "It's one of those things that was engrained in me early on and I definitely take pride in getting lots of shots and opportunities.
"I'm a guy that's counted on to score goals and if I bring that mindset into every game I play, I feel I'm doing my part to help the team win."
Unfortunately, the Flames came out on the wrong end of a 3-1 result on Friday against the Anaheim Ducks, but it wasn't for a lack of effort on anyone's part. Toffoli, though, was particularly dialled in, recording eight of the Flames' 37 shots - plus a crossbar for good measure. It was the most action No. 73 has had around the net since Jan. 30, 2020, when he had nine shots in only 16:08 of ice time.
"Lindy (Elias Lindholm) and I were actually talking about it," Toffoli chuckled. "We were both feeling good and we had chances all night long. So, that was the idea - keep getting pucks toward the net and force the goalie to make a save. Obviously, it's a little frustrating not being able to capitalize on some really good looks, but looking at it in a positive way, you've got to build on it and bring that same mindset into the next one."
Indeed, if the Flames are going to make a push for the playoffs, they'll need their top marksman to continue on the path he's on.
Toffoli is only five away from tying his career high in goals (31), and is just three off his career-best in points with 55 through the first 66 games of the season. He's held these marks for seven seasons dating back to the 2015-16 campaign, but looks poised to break them, here, at the age of 30.
And to think, where would these totals be if not for his 11 iron strikes (six posts, five crossbars) this year?

It's rare for players to achieve new benchmarks past what many would consider their 'prime' years. That's not to say Toffoli is on the cusp of a decline - far from it - but in a league that's getting younger by the year, it's impressive to see the Scarborough, Ont. native elevating his game to this level.
And the reason for it is simple:
Toffoli - a two-time Cup winner with the LA Kings - is never satisfied.
"In the summers, I like to shoot around with heavier pucks," Toffoli said of the ever-present fine-tuning of his already wicked snapshot. "Even throughout the season, I work on my release and how I can get my shot off in different ways. It's not always about how hard you can shoot - it's about tricking the goalie with different release angles and placing it in the right spot.
"It's almost like in baseball with a fastball and a change-up.
"I feel I can do that really well."
On a recent road trip, Dillon Dube
spoke at length about Toffoli's clever deception
. He marvelled at how he could change the angle of his blade, shoot from either his front or back foot, or completely fool goalies by bringing the puck closer to his body, signalling a pass or some other small-area play.
It didn't always come natural, but after seeing the possibilities early in his career, Toffoli has worked hard to get the puck off in almost any configuration.
"I think my second year in junior, I scored 37 goals. I ended up getting drafted and going to my first development camp and then training camp with LA, and it was talked about me being a scorer," Toffoli said. "I worked a lot with the development staff there, working on my shot, working on different ways to get my release off.
"Obviously, it's something I take pride in to this day and want to score as many goals as I can."