Starting tonight, the Toronto Maple Leafs are entering a crucial week of home games at the Scotiabank Arena. The team will face tough competition. Particularly important in the standings, they face two key Atlantic Division rivals currently ahead of them. The week’s games include games against the Florida Panthers tonight, the Seattle Kraken on Thursday, and the Boston Bruins on Saturday.
This is a critical week for the team; and, there are several key questions the team must answer. The team is in a bit of a swoon and needs to pick up its play. Every gained or lost point will significantly impact their standing in the hotly contested Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference playoff race.
The team is banking on home-ice advantage to pull off a few wins and, as a result, to solidify its position. Three wins would do just nicely. Is it possible?
In this post, I’ll take a look at some of the key questions the team will try to answer as they engage the next few games on its schedule. Several moves have been made to improve the team’s performance. Will they work?
Question One: Will the New Line Combinations Reignite the Team’s Play?
In yesterday’s practice session, the Maple Leafs introduced new line combinations. The coaching staff is trying to explore several different configurations as a way to optimize team performance. The top line for tonight’s game against the Panthers now features Matthew Knies, Auston Matthews, and William Nylander. Mitch Marner was moved down to the second line and will partner with center John Tavares and winger Tyler Bertuzzi.
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The third line will remain the same, consisting of Nick Robertson, Max Domi, and Calle Jarnkrok. That line has been one of the team’s best over the past few games and offers a mix of youth and versatility. The team’s fourth line comprises Noah Gregor, David Kampf, and Ryan Reaves. Hopefully, that line will provide a balance of grit and scoring potential.
On the defensive end, Morgan Rielly and TJ Brodie will remain paired. Mark Giordano will partner with Jake McCabe, and Simon Benoit will be partnered with Conor Timmins as the third pairing. These experimentations reflect the coaching staff’s attempt to find the optimal line configurations for the team’s success.
The big strategic changes to the forward units involve the swap between Nylander and Marner. Nylander now joins Matthews on the top line, while Marner pairs up with Tavares on the second line. The primary motivation behind these changes seems to be to address the first line’s lack of offensive consistency. They have not been carrying the team as expected.
In an interview where coach Keefe talks about the change, he noted his reluctance to disrupt the second-line’s chemistry or mess with Nylander’s fast start to the season. However, it would seem that Keefe has grown a bit frustrated with the top line’s lack of production and wants to shake things up a bit. He, for whatever was behind his thinking, noted that the timing was right for these alterations.
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The biggest question facing the team is whether the re-jig of the top units will reignite the top-six unit’s chemistry and offensive output. Will it foster a more consistent and effective performance as the Maple Leafs progress through the next few games?
Question Two: Can Simon Benoit Become a Solid Third-Pairing Defenseman?
At yesterday’s practice, Simon Benoit was slotted into the third pairing. That suggests that the team is giving him a chance to see how he can contribute as a third-pairing defenseman. Because he suits up for tonight’s game, it means that William Lagesson will be relegated to a reserve role.
Recently, Benoit has been more actively involved in the Maple Leafs’ lineup. He’s been given more significant time on ice, getting an average of 13:13 minutes per game. He’s more physical than Legesson, and perhaps that’s the motivation for playing him against the Panthers tonight. From my perspective, my eyes tell me he’s played much better than most fans and analysts expected after what seemed to be a horrible season with the Anaheim Ducks last season.
However, Benoit continues to experience some back-and-forth movement between the NHL and American Hockey League (AHL) levels. Despite being sent to the AHL on several occasions, he’s consistently been recalled. That he’s in the lineup for tonight’s game indicates that the Maple Leafs want to give him additional chances to show if his play can meet the team’s needs.
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Can Benoit take advantage of this opportunity to show he can become a solid third-pairing defenseman? Can he continue to play a solid enough defense to hold a place in the lineup? While his scoring has been limited, with no points in six NHL appearances this season, is that even a deal for the team? The team’s decision to play him underscores their recognition of his potential contribution to the defensive unit. Can he make it work?
If so, and Benoit could become a solid third-pairing defenseman for the Maple Leafs, his physicality and shot-blocking skills could prove valuable to the team. Can he make an impact; or, perhaps better said, can he control the other team’s ability to score against his Maple Leafs?
Question Three: Can Ryan Reaves Build Off His Recent Success?
Ryan Reaves recently scored his first goal of the season in a game against the Chicago Blackhawks. The score marked his first point of the year in 15 games. While Reaves is not primarily known for his offensive skills, what the team didn’t expect was that he would be such a detriment to the team on defense. While he has been a member of the team’s fourth line, that line has not proved to be effective. The underlying statistical analytics when he’s been on the ice have been poor.
In short, Reaves has faced challenges finding his groove within the team’s system. That led to his being a healthy scratch in a game against the Vancouver Canucks. His ice time also dropped significantly in an earlier game against the Calgary Flames, and his physical presence has been limited. Until his goal, he had zero points this season.
When the team signed the veteran forward to a three-year deal, management emphasized his signing as the team’s commitment to energizing his tough and engaged style of play. It has been a bit of a non-factor thus far. Forgetting about any offensive upside, if Reaves is to become a valuable asset for the Leafs, he needs to bring some kind of an edge to the lineup through his physical play, hits, and ability to engage in on-ice confrontations.
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The question is whether Reaves still has the potential to contribute to the Maple Leafs success. Can he build off his recent goal and contribute to the Maple Leafs’ lineup through his physical presence, hits, and occasional fights? Can Reaves add that gritty element to the team and catalyze a more robust and competitive Maple Leafs’ efforts?
Answering These Three Questions Is Crucial to the Team’s Success
It would seem that the coaching staff has come together to assess the changes needed for this team to improve. On paper, it makes sense. But how will the changes translate into on-ice success?
By the start of the new week on Sunday, Maple Leafs fans will better know if the coaches were correct in their decisions.