Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
The Toronto Maple Leafs are looking to bounce back from two straight losses to Detroit, so let’s see how they decided to line things up ahead of Tuesday’s game.
Thanksgiving didn’t come with much gratefulness if you’re a Toronto Maple Leafs fan as the club fell 3-2 to the Detroit Red Wings which made it two losses in a row after an embarrassing 6-3 loss on Saturday night.
Trying to bounce back against the Nashville Predators, it would look like Craig Berube might make a couple of changes to spark things after a disappointing two-game slate.
So what changes did Berube end up making?
Craig Berube’s Subtle Message to His Players
Unfortunately for those who wanted a shakeup are going to need to wait as it looks like the head coach is running with the same lineup as Monday afternoon:
Knies – Matthews – Cowan
Maccelli – Tavares – Nylander
Robertson – Domi – McMann
Joshua – Roy – Jarnkrok
McCabe – Tanev
Rielly – Carlo
Benoit – Ekman-Larsson
While it’s a great sign that the team is trusting Easton Cowan again to run on the top line with Auston Matthews, it is a bit troubling that the team seems to be going back to things that weren’t so successful.That third line was a huge issue last year, and continues to be so this year. Calle Jarnkrok has earned it over Nick Robertson, and Nic Roy is a much better choice to have than Domi.Yes, the injuries to Scott Laughton and Steven Lorentz don’t do them any favors, but moving some players around could create some much needed chemistry.Cayden Primeau gets his first start after being acquired off waivers, and the team is going to need him to have a strong game not only to keep his spot, but to take some of the pressure off Anthony Stolarz‘s shoulders.
His head coach loves what he’s seen too:
Great work ethic in practice, he’s looked comfortable in practice. We’ve liked him in practice, his work ethic has been excellent, he’s done a good job.
But Craig Berube’s clearly sending a note to his players that he trusts them to pull it together and we’re only three games into the season; so much can change in a week let alone a month.
How the Maple Leafs Can Respond After Back-to-Back Losses
Morgan Rielly can stop icing the puck under zero pressure; that’s a good start. He’s going to need to be at the top of his game today and any defensive lapses need to be accounted for.But beyond Rielly’s defensive mistakes he has been outstanding offensively, so no knock there. It’s the guys like John Tavares and William Nylander who need to pick it up too.
Combined they have six points but only one goal, and for a duo who combined for 83 goals alone last year; something needs to change. Nylander has three shots this year…Calle Jarnkrok has three goals.
The stars are not shining too bright and a big game from the top-six is needed to not only give them confidence but stop Toronto from slipping too far down early on.
One more thing they need to do is not only get those shots on net, but continually add traffic in front of the net. Both goals yesterday were due to hard work and second efforts.
Matthew Knies crashed the net and got the easiest tap in of his life, and Calle Jarnkrok found open space only feet away from Talbot and took Knies’ pass and buried it.
Not to mention Nic Roy’s goal Saturday, and Jarnkrok’s two previous; when the team forces traffic and chaos in front they are successful so keep that up.
Tonight’s lineup is much of the same but the Toronto Maple Leafs are hoping for a much different result.
For those interested in watching the game, it can be viewed on ESPN+ and Fubo in the US and TSN4 in Canada. The puck is scheduled to drop at 7PM ET.
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Maple Leafs’ New Lineup Decision Sends a Clear Message After Back-to-Back Losses
Who will win Tuesday night’s game between Toronto and Nashville?