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One of the first things Craig Berube’s sensed at his first Maple Leafs training camp was the potential of a heavyweight fourth line to give his new charges renewed identity.

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Ryan Reaves (6-foot-2, 225 pounds) and center David Kampf (6-foot-2, around 200) were already in place, but putting free agent Steven Lorentz (6-foot-4, 216) has been an ideal complement to date. A crash-and-bang/energy troika is hardly a new concept, but rarely has Toronto put so much beef on it.

In Friday’s 3-1 win, they helped grind down the Red Wings in the third period as the Leafs clung to a one-goal lead, keeping a regular shift instead of Berube going to a shortened bench before John Tavares sealed it with an empty- netter.

Lorentz came from a Florida Panthers’ Stanley Cup championship roster that also emphasized size.

“For me, it was a seamless transition from last year, a group that played big and heavy,” Lorentz said Friday morning.

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“That’s what Kampf and Reavo bring as well. It still takes time to get on the same page for a lot of things, but when your mindset is the same as those two guys, not cheating for offense and playing the right way, success will come.”

Berube likes that other teams are looking over their shoulder on the forecheck.

“Lorentz and Kampf are also killing penalties and doing a good job,” Berube said. “Reaves is out there…and people just know he’s out there. He’s skating well. That’s what we need from them. It rubs off on the rest of the team.”

HALL RIGHT NOW

Triple Gold club member Pavel Datsyuk naturally got the biggest hand in the pre-game ceremony from a Red Wing-flavored crowd as the seven new Hockey Hall of Fame members were introduced prior to Monday’s official induction.

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Among the honored members on the blue-carpet greeting line was defenseman Larry Murphy — who played for both teams — and two other Leafs, outgoing chairman Lanny McDonald and incoming Mike Gartner.

“I know a bunch of those guys,” Berube said as he watched the parade of stars pass by the Leafs bench. “I went a long way back with Lanny to the (early 1990s) in Calgary. Very happy for all those induced.”

Jeremy Roenick also received a warm greeting, even though he’d done his best through the years to vex the Leafs, especially at playoff time, saying he is sometimes recognized in the street when visiting here.

“The fans say: ‘We hate you, we hate you… aw, we love you’,” he chuckled.

ALL HANDS ON DECK

A wild third-period scramble saw Anthony Stolarz makes a save after his blocker got knocked off, then grab the loose puck with his bare hand while lying on his back. He even held it up to show the officials.

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“I got a little out of position, (Detroit’s Lucas) Raymond was alone in front, my blocker got caught up in somebody’s skate or stick,” said Stolarz who has made a few saves without his goal stick of late. “I just saw the puck and knew I had to get it out of there. Whatever it takes.”

Teammate Mitch Marner was glad to see him escape injury.

“I didn’t know where the puck was,” he said. “It was a bit of a dog pound in there. Nice to see him come out of that with the puck in his hand and still all five fingers.”

FLAM FILM

NHL vice-president and builder nominee Colin Campbell was hailed as one of the founding fathers of video replay and the war room before the game. But there were lots of grumbling at Scotiabank Arena when Nick Robertson’s goal was called back in the first period by Derek Lalonde’s coach’s challenge.

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After some grounds for a penalty on Marco Kasper for bumping Stolarz were ignored, Bobby McMann and Robertson went up ice with McMann getting a piece of Cam Talbot as he buzzed the net and centered to Robertson.

Talbot was very deep in his net which should’ve helped McMann’s case, but the officials ruled McMann had nevertheless contacted his head. That wiped out what would’ve been Robertson’s badly needed second goal of the season in his 100th career game.

HOLL AND NOTES

Former Leaf Justin Holl has been used sporadically so far this year, but got back in the lineup Friday.

Lalonde praised Holl for waiting his turn while Detroit cycled through some younger defensemen.

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“It was fun,” Holl said. “But here (no Wings play any instruments). So I’ve gone solo.”

PASSING POTVIN

John Tavares was flirting with passing New York Islanders great Denis Potvin in NHL career scoring all night.

After Tavares’ power-play strike in the second period, to give Toronto a 2-1 lead, it was noted that the official scorer had re-adjusted the first goal to him after Marner was originally credited. That would’ve been point No. 1,053 to pass Potvin for 78th in league history, but it was changed a second time — back to Marner — before Tavares’ empty-netter did the trick.

“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Denis and got to know him playing as long there as I did,” Tavares said of his predecessor as captain. “It’s special when something like that happens, when you looked at what he accomplished in his career and in a place I played.”

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LOOSE LEAFS

While his birth certificate was often the source of much speculation, Leafs Hall of Famer Johnny Bower would’ve turned 100 on Friday … While playing for the Coyotes, Roenick recalled working a hockey clinic in Phoenix that a young Matthews attended … Saturday’s Leafs game against visiting Montreal will include a pre-game Remembrance Day observance … The Wings are also on a back-to-back, facing the Rangers at home on Saturday. Ville Husso, who cleared waivers, was an emergency callup after Alex Lyons, who was supposed to start against Toronto, developed a lower body problem. Husso was to play against New York

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