Sheldon Keefe makes Leafs Line-up Changes Ahead of Flyers Game
Toronto Maple Leafs Head Coach Sheldon Keefe makes major line-up changes ahead of game vs the Philadelphia Flyers on March 19th 2024.
After a breather yesterday, the Leafs hit the ice Monday afternoon for practice before jetting off to Philly for their showdown with the Flyers tomorrow night.
According to Daily Faceoffs, Coach Sheldon Keefe's keeping the forward lines mostly intact, just swapping in Ryan Reaves on the fourth line for Noah Gregor, Pontus Holmberg remained on the top line alongside Tyler Bertuzzi and Auston Matthews.
Meanwhile, Bobby McMann's getting more action skating with Max Domi and William Nylander, while John Tavares takes charge with rookies Nick Robertson and Matthew Knies.
On the defensive end, Lyubushkin wasn't at practice due to injury, causing a shake-up in pairings. T.J. Brodie's back on the right side with Morgan Rielly, and it looks like Simon Benoit's back in the game after sitting out the last three. He's teaming up with Jake McCabe, while Joel Edmundson hangs tight with Timothy Liljegren.
Now, Simon Benoit made some noise last week about being a healthy scratch, and fans weren't thrilled either. They've been clamouring for their «Milk Man" to hit the ice. Some argue Timothy Liljegren should've sat out instead, but Keefe stuck with him since he's got that right defensive shot. The 29-year-old blueliner seems to be sitting this one out. He didn't join the team on their Monday afternoon travels, hinting that he might miss this week's games. If he sits out, it'll be the first time since he joined the Leafs through a trade back in February.
Toronto Maple Leafs have back-to-back games in the Northeast, starting with a face-off against the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday, followed by a showdown with the Washington Capitals on Wednesday.
«He's not going to be coming on the trip with us. Just trying to get him to the point where he's comfortable throughout the week. So he's day-to-day away from being day-to-day.»
«Regarding Mitch being out, it creates more opportunity for others to play and to grow. For us, we can learn more about them,» said Keefe. «And, at the same time for someone like Mitch specifically, who hasn't had really any time off, in the long run for him ... as much as we miss him, I think it'll be beneficial to him when he does get back.»
As of right now the projected Maple Leafs line-up are below:
Bertuzzi - Matthews - Holmberg
McMann - Domi - Nylander
Knies - Tavares - Robertson
Dewar - Kampf - Reaves
Extra: Gregor
Rielly - Brodie
Benoit - McCabe
Edmundson - Liljegren
Giordano(LTIR) - Timmins
Absent: Lyubushkin
Samsonov, Woll, Jones
Between the pipes, it's the usual suspects: Ilya Samsonov, Joseph Woll, and Martin Jones all taking their turns. Yet no word yet on who'll get the nod for tomorrow's clash against the Flyers. Stay tuned for the goalie lineup!
| POLL | ||
Do you agree with Sheldon Keefe's line-up changes ahead of the Flyers Game? | ||
| I agree | 206 | 46.1 % |
| I disagree | 241 | 53.9 % |
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