TORONTO — With just twelve games remaining, questions arise: How concerned should the Toronto Maple Leafs be about finalizing their forward lineup?
“It’s still a bit of a puzzle,” admits head coach Craig Berube when questioned about settling on a third line.
The top line featuring Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and Matthew Knies has been a constant since training camp, outscoring opponents 27-22 this season.
Berube favors working with forward pairs and hesitates to split up his core four across different lines. Consequently, John Tavares and William Nylander are likely to start the Stanley Cup Playoffs together. Despite being outshot 269-250 when this pair is on the ice at 5-on-5, their scoring prowess allows the Tavares-Nylander duo to outscore opponents 29-17.
Currently, Berube is experimenting with a third line of Max Domi and Nick Robertson — both offensively talented but smaller players with defensive considerations.
“They’ve contributed goals, providing valuable secondary scoring. Max’s game has improved significantly, and I believe there’s even more potential,” Berube notes.
“I tend to think in pairs rather than lines. It’s something I’ve always done. We need to occasionally shake things up, and we do. We’ll shift a winger around here and there.”
The Maple Leafs hold a 16-14 scoring advantage when Domi and Robertson play together, which slightly improves to 10-7 when joined by the fast Bobby McMann.
Recently, Berube has utilized McMann’s forechecking ability to boost the Tavares-Nylander line.
“He fits in well there,” Berube says. “He’s played with those guys before, and they’ve been successful.”
However, Pontus Holmberg hasn’t quite clicked with Domi and Robertson as effectively.
Furthermore, was Scott Laughton acquired to play in the top nine, rather than limited minutes on the fourth line? And could Max Pacioretty — currently on LTIR due to salary cap constraints — become a surprise option for the playoffs? He showed promise on the second line in earlier stretches.
