Knies moves up: Leafs mix up their lines once again
The Toronto Maple Leafs won’t get all their revenge on the team that knocked them out of the playoffs last season in one game, but they’ll still be looking for two points against one of their divisional rivals on Thursday.
Ahead of their game tonight against the Florida Panthers, the Maple Leafs have mixed up their forward lines once again.
Matthew Knies has entered the Leafs’ top six for the first time this season, skating on a line with John Tavares and William Nylander. He’s the third forward to occupy the second-line left wing spot this season in just four games, after Max Domi and Calle Jarnkrok filled the role in the team’s first three contests.
“All four of our left-wingers are new. You are trying to find the right mix for everybody, but everybody is responsible for maximizing the minutes they do get. It will settle into place,” Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters yesterday.
“As we go out on the road, the rejigging of the lines is about more consistently trying to get guys out there. Special teams always play a role, too, in how it shakes out.”
As per the Toronto Sun’s Terry Koshan, here’s how Toronto is set to line up tonight:
- Tyler Bertuzzi – Auston Matthews – Mitch Marner
- Matthew Knies – John Tavares – William Nylander
- Max Domi – Fraser Minten – Calle Jarnkrok
- Noah Gregor –David Kampf – Ryan Reaves
Meanwhile, the team’s defensive pairs are the same as they closed out Monday’s game, where Timothy Liljegren and John Klingberg swapped roles:
- Morgan Rielly – TJ Brodie
- Jake McCabe – Timothy Liljegren
- Mark Giordano – John Klingberg
Puck drop for tonight’s contest is set for 7 pm ET, with the game available on TSN4. Ilya Samsonov will be in net for Toronto, while Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky will be taking the net in the opposite crease.