Toronto Maple Leafs are benching a few veterans from playoff lineup
The Toronto Maple Leafs are sticking to what’s working in the early days of their playoff run.
In their first playoff contest under head coach Craig Berube, things couldn’t have gone much better for the host Leafs, picking up a 6-2 win over the rival Ottawa Senators on Sunday.
After making the playoffs every year since 2017, and Ottawa in their first playoff contest since that same year, perhaps Toronto’s experience was the biggest factor in a relatively smooth win.
As per the Athletic’s Jonas Siegel, the lines at yesterday’s practice appeared to be the same as the morning skate today. The only change from the Game 1 lineup is a swap of Pontus Holmberg into the top six for Max Domi, who is flipping from left wing to a centre role.
- Matthew Knies-Auston Matthews-Mitch Marner
- Pontus Holmberg-John Tavares-William Nylander
- Bobby McMann-Max Domi–Nick Robertson
- Steven Lorentz-Scott Laughton-Calle Jarnkrok
On the backend, they’ll be running pairs of:
- Jake McCabe – Chris Tanev
- Morgan Rielly – Brandon Carlo
- Simon Benoit – Oliver Ekman-Larsson
But while Toronto’s lineup does have several faces that have been through the playoff ringer both with the Leafs and elsewhere, it’s worth taking a look at a few of the names on the sidelines that have yet to crack the playoff squad.
Despite calling him up back up to the NHL earlier in the week after a three-game AHL stint, one player the Leafs haven’t played very often over the last stretch of the season is veteran enforcer Ryan Reaves. A veteran of 113 NHL playoff games, he’s played just twice since February 1 and appears an unlikely combatant in the Battle of Ontario.
David Kampf and Max Pacioretty have also been practicing with the team as extras, with both being cleared to play earlier this week while dealing with injuries. Kampf last played April 2, while Pacioretty has been out since February 8. Pacioretty has played 78 playoff games over the years with Vegas and Montreal, while Kampf has played 34 playoff contests in Toronto and Chicago.
Defenceman Jani Hakanpaa, a veteran of 34 NHL playoff games himself, has also been getting up to speed with the Leafs extras. But having played just two games this year with a knee injury sidelining him for much of the season, seeing him suit up for Toronto anytime soon would probably mean a few players went down in front of him.
In any case, we should see in the coming days whether Toronto opts for a lineup shakeup moving forward or if they’ll stick with what they iced in the opening game of the series.
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