With Morgan Rielly out of the lineup due to suspension and other defensemen banged up, now might be the time for the Leafs to experiment.
ST LOUIS — The Toronto Maple Leafs have used Mitch Marner on the point for a power play before and he might be there as the quarterback of the top unit when his team visits the St. Louis Blues on Monday afternoon to begin a four-game road trip.
With Morgan Rielly out of the lineup due to suspension and defensemen Timothy Liljegren and Jake McCabe among others missing practice due to being a little banged up, Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe had Marner, Auston Matthews, John Tavares, William Nylander and Tyler Bertuzzi practice with five forwards on the power play.
Keefe said it remains an option for the club.
"We like it. It’s an intriguing option to manage the minutes of the defenders with Morgan out and everything,' he said. "But at the same time, our power play was pretty darn good yesterday as it was."
In addition to managing the defenders' minutes, it allows Bertuzzi to stay involved after finally getting his scoring touch back.
With Tavares out of the lineup with an undisclosed injury on Saturday Bertuzzi was elevated into that spot in the club's 9-2 win against the Anaheim Ducks. Bertuzzi scored on the special-teams unit.
It was his first goal in 20 games.
Last season, the Leafs used five forwards for a handful of games in the winter that saw Michael Bunting brought into the unit. They actually deployed it in both of their meetings against the Blues last season.
While it started well, the Leafs eventually abandoned it when Blues forward Brandon Saad beat Marner to a shorthanded opportunity on Jan. 3, 2023.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugVS-a7lDgs[/embed]
Keefe reiterated afterwards that going with five forwards wasn't necessarily a long-term solution for Toronto and that's likely the case here once Rielly returns after serving his suspension for cross-checking Ottawa Senator forward Ridly Greig in the face.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0DRpcEx00c[/embed]
Where to watch, earlier start time
The Maple Leafs play a rare afternoon game due to the Presidents' Day holiday in the United States.
The puck will drop shortly after 1 p.m. ET (noon local). Viewers in the Toronto region can watch the game on Sportsnet Ontario. Across Canada, the game will stream on Sportsnet+ Premium. In the United States, the game will be broadcast on ESPN. For the rest of the world, the game will stream on the respective carrier of NHL.TV.
Related
Why the Maple Leafs Called Up Marshall Rifai and Why He’s Likely to Make His NHL Debut Against Blues
News from THN.com
Archive: Hurricanes' Group Of Defensemen in 2017 a Harbinger of Elite 'D' to Come
Slafkovsky, Hutson & Co. Have Canadiens' Future Looking Bright
Phil Kessel's Battle Level is on Display Again as he Chases a Canucks Contract