Leafs Surprisingly Scratch Forward in Favor of Calle Jarnkrok
With the Maple Leafs needing a big win in Utah after coming off a brutal loss to Colorado and riding a three game losing streak, a big lineup change has been made.
It's Toronto's first time in Utah as the former Arizona Coyotes are enjoying their first season in the NHL (albeit not the results that they had hoped for, especially given their hot start). It's a make or break game for the team as another loss might leave Toronto in a rough spot.
So with Craig Berube already making one move with promoting Bobby McMann to the second line in favor of Pontus Holmberg, he's going to make another one and it involves a pretty surprising scratch.
It's been revealed that Nick Robertson will sit against Utah meanwhile Calle Jarnkrok will come back in after missing last game in favor of newcomer Scott Laughton.
Jarnkrok will presumably play on the wing along with David Kampf and Steven Lorentz to create a very sound defensive trio.
He recently made his season debut after missing most of the year due to recovery from sports hernia surgery.
Robertson has 17 points in 55 games (11G, 7A) for the Maple Leafs this season; a decent stat line given how ice cold he was to start the season.
It's been a brutal three game streak for the Maple Leafs. A shootout loss in an easily winnable game against the Sharks, then getting routed by both Vegas and Colorado is not a good look for a team who is fighting against both Florida and Tampa Bay in the Atlantic; two teams who beefed up big at the deadline.
The team is still without Chris Tanev who is dealing with an injury and his absence is clearly hurting them. You can excuse the loss against Colorado as the new faces getting acquainted, but if they slip up against Utah; what else can Berube change?
Perhaps giving Max Domi a night off wouldn't be the worst move, but does Toronto want to sit a $5M player regardless of production?
We'll have to wait and see how things turn out as Toronto and Utah face off at Delta Center with the puck drop scheduled at 10PM ET.
