Maple Leafs Reveal New Defensive Pairings Despite Five-Game Winning Streak
Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube is once again tinkering with the defensive lines to find the right pairings.
Craig Berube is going with new defense pairs despite having won their last five games, with the Leafs still going through their defense options.
Going up tonight against the Carolina Hurricanes, the Leafs choose to once again start fresh, a potential sign that Berube may still not be totally satisfied with the way all three pairs are playing together.
Toronto Maple Leafs Test Out New Lines vs Carolina
Not having lost a game to start 2025, Craig Berube experiments yet again on the back end.
The Leafs are projected to have new lined for tonight's game against Carolina, with Chris Tanev moving up to the Leafs first pair alongside Morgan Rielly, with Philippe Myers on the second pairing with Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
Untouched is the third pairing of Simon Benoit and Conor Timmins.
Once again, Marshall Rifai will be the seventh defenseman for the Leafs.
The Leafs re-did their lines in a back-to-back in Philadelphia, having to restructure due to the loss of defenseman Jake McCabe to injury.
With McCabe out for the second game against the Flyers, Oliver Ekman-Larsson was moved from the third pair at RHD to McCabe's spot on the left side of the second pair, with Timmins drawing into the third pair.
Once again, Craig Berube makes chances to work out the right winning formula with the absence of McCabe in the Leafs lineup.
Tanev has been strong in the two games against the Flyers, playing impressively in both games and showcasing stronger performances compared to Myers, despite Myers being on the top line.
Tanev has a goal and 13 points in 41 games played this season for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The moves may just be Berube tinkering with his defensive options in the face of McCabe being gone and the team needing to make sure the loss doesn't impact them too much, but it signals a problem for the Leafs that the move made is on the first pairing.
It brings to question how Craig Berube values Philippe Myers, and if he has faith in his ability to contribute on the top pairing for the Leafs, and if not, it's a wonder what Berube estimates Myers value being in Toronto if he is moved away from the team's best defenseman.
| POLL | ||
Who should play alongside Morgan Rielly as his defensive partner? | ||
