Leafs split up Marner and Matthews in latest line shakeup
The Toronto Maple Leafs are finally splitting up two of their big guns.
Today, the team experimented with a new-look top line in practice, splitting up Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner ahead of a three-game home stand this week.
The two had been relatively joined at the hip since the beginning of the season. As per Natural Stat Trick, Matthews had played 248 of his 285 five-on-five minutes with Marner, and Marner 248 of his 271 with Matthews – 87% and 91% of their season-long ice times, respectively.
As per Sportsnet’s Luke Fox, William Nylander and Matthew Knies joined Matthews on the top unit, while Marner joined the second line with John Tavares and Tyler Bertuzzi.
Matthews with Nylander and Knies.
Marner with Tavares and Bertuzzi.
— luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) November 27, 2023
Meanwhile, the bottom two units consisted of Nick Robertson, Max Domi, and Calle Jarnkrok on one line, and Noah Gregor, David Kampf, and Ryan Reaves on the other, per the Toronto Sun’s Terry Koshan.
Marner has no goals (and three assists) in his last seven games for Toronto, with his last marker coming on November 6 against Tampa Bay.
“We are getting all sorts of questions about these guys. I think we can all agree they can play better. They have set such a high standard, and yet here we are. One of the many reports I get before every game – I am reading through them before every game – is our five-on-five scoring this season. At the top of the list is Mitch Marner,” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said postgame on Saturday following a 3-2 loss to Pittsburgh. “He is a guy who hasn’t played his best hockey and has all the hardest matchups every single night, and yet he is at the top of our team in five-on-five scoring. It is interesting how it all works out.”
The Leafs hits the ice tomorrow night when they host the Florida Panthers for a 7 pm ET puck drop.
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