Toronto Maple Leafs show off Game 6 lines with subtle change
The Toronto Maple Leafs are hoping the third time’s a charm on Thursday night.
After going up 3-0 on the Ottawa Senators in their first-round playoff matchup, Toronto has dropped each of the last two games to make things a bit dicier.
Though the Leafs need to win just one of a possible two remaining games to advance, longtime fans of the team know that things never really seem to come easy for the Leafs during postseason time.
In his first playoff series with the team, Leafs head coach Craig Berube hasn’t tinkered too hard with his team’s lineup, with the biggest and so far only changes coming from bumping Max Domi from the second to the third line prior to Game 2, and inserting Max Pacioretty into the lineup for Game 3 in place of Nick Robertson.
While Domi scored the overtime winning goal in his first game on his new line, Pacioretty hasn’t exactly found his playoff mojo yet, being held scoreless so far into the postseason.
But while some fans were wondering if Pacioretty would get iced out of the lineup, it appears that he’s actually in line for a promotion next time he steps out on the ice, taking Pontus Holmberg’s spot on the second line.
Per The Hockey News’ David Alter, here’s what the team’s lines looked like at a brief morning skate in Ottawa on Thursday morning.
- Matthew Knies-Auston Matthews-Mitch Marner
- Max Pacioretty-John Tavares-William Nylander
- Bobby McMann-Pontus Holmberg-Max Domi
- Steven Lorentz-Scott Laughton-Calle Jarnkrok
The team’s defensive pairs remain unchanged, as they have throughout the entire series.
- Jake McCabe – Chris Tanev
- Morgan Rielly – Brandon Carlo
- Simon Benoit – Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Meanwhile, Anthony Stolarz once again returns to Toronto’s net for the sixth game of the series.
If Toronto comes through victorious in Game 6 (or makes everyone sweat and pulls it off in a Game 7 on Saturday night back at home), they’ll face the Florida Panthers, who knocked off the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games on Wednesday night.
Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. EDT at Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa.