Keefe has liked what he's seen from Matthews playing with Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi and strongly suggests that's line will stick for the postseason.
Keefe has liked what he's seen from Matthews playing with Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi and strongly suggests that's line will stick for the postseason.
With just three games remaining in the regular season, Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe was asked about his approach for setting his lineup for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, which begin next week,
He mentioned that he needs all 82 regular season games because of a lot of injuries and other circumstances that arise. But, he also revealed that he's likes his new top line of Auston Matthews centering a line with Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi, who moved into that spot when the Leafs were without Mitch Marner for 12 games due to an ankle injury.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rezvNXKx4U8[/embed]
"Obviously the way things have come together here with Auston and Max and Bert, that's a real thing," Keefe said ahead of his team's game against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday. "This is not just a short-term thing. That's a real thing that gives our team a completely different look. We've been wanting to give that time and you look at other things, you know, for me, you're trying to balance getting chemistry and continuity."
When Marner returned to the lineup last week, they placed him on the club's second line with John Tavares instead of reuniting him on his regular line with Max Domi. The change certainly hasn't had a negative affect on Matthews, who is on a seven-game goal-scoring streak and is just two goals away from being the first player to reach 70 goals in a season in over 30 years.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ckwpm_2miA8[/embed]
In 113:16 of 5-on-5 ice time this season, the trio has a shot share of 64 percent, according to NaturalStatTrick.com. In the 686:58 that Matthews and Marner have played together, that number moves down to 54 percent.
With Bertuzzi and Domi's emergence down the stretch here, it makes sense for the club to stick with the trio. It also helps balance out the matchups for the playoffs by spreading someone like Marner further down the lineup.
The Leafs will likely get Calle Jarnkrok at some point soon as the player continues to skate with return-to-play staff after sustaining a hand injury. His addition will further strengthen the team's depth, giving Keefe other decisions he has to make. But the recent lineup is more or less what you'll see of the Leafs come opening night of the playoffs.
"Whether it's guys that are being in game one or some of the guys that are out, we've got some good options that have all performed very well and we'll use 82 to sort it out. What you see as of late is sense of how we see it going forward."
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