Leafs elevate Liljegren to top unit on new-look power play

The Toronto Maple Leafs are making a few changes to their special teams after a recent poor scoring spell on the power play.

At today’s practice, the team bumped Timothy Liljegren up to the team’s top unit, as per TSN’s Mark Masters.

Liljegren replaces Morgan Rielly on the team’s top group, joined by four forwards: Auston Matthews, John Tavares, William Nylander, and Tyler Bertuzzi. Meanwhile, Rielly heads up the second unit, joined by Max Domi, Bobby McMann, Nick Robertson, and Matthew Knies.

Toronto currently has the league’s fifth-ranked power play, going 26.1% throughout the season.

But across the team’s last nine games, they’ve gone just one-for-24 on the power play, including 0-for-4 in a 5-4 shootout loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night.

“We’re just not as crisp as we usually are,” Tavares said on Saturday of the team’s power play struggles. “Just seems like our passes may not be in the right spot or just a little bit on edge. Fanning on some shots, getting some stuff blocked as we’re trying to get it to the net. Whether that’s double-clutching a little bit, just trying to make the right read, we just got to be a little bit quicker and a little more crisp.”

Mitch Marner, who has been out of the lineup since March 7 due to an ankle injury, remained out of Monday’s practice. Though he skated last week, Marner is not expected to play in either of the team’s next two games on the road, per Masters.

The Leafs return to action on Tuesday night, when they travel to Philadelphia to take on the Flyers. Puck drop is set for 7 pm ET.

You might also like:
• Latest Nurse family moment to be honoured by the Hockey Hall of Fame