The Reason Why the Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander Line Does Not Work
It was a risk taken by the Toronto Maple Leafs to combine their star forwards Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Mitch Marner into a single line in able to spark all three at the same time.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have been looking for an offensive boom in the team, especially from Auston Matthews, the captain not looking entirely at 100% since his return from an injury that brought a still unknown trip to Germany in an attempt to heal.
Since then, while Matthews has played well, he hasn't played like the superstar Auston Matthews fans know.
Leafs head coach Craig Berube gave the new line credit after the team's 5-3 win last night against the Dallas Stars for scoring a goal and having good opportunities, but admitted the line was off, but a problem with the team at whole and not an indictment on the line itself or the players.
Tracked data from Hockey Stat Cards show that the line played well enough, but was not a top line for the Leafs.
However, there's some concerns that the line lacks balance, and that having three offensively skilled players is a concern without a player who's able to contributing in digging for pucks and playing physical to move the offensive forwards while doing the dirty work.
The player who could perhaps contribute as the defensive option if the Leafs wish to continue the stacked line is Mitch Marner, who has been an impactful defensive forward this season.
Marner may be too offensively talented to have his skills wasted playing a defensive-minded game, it's the option that makes the most sense without breaking up the line.
Although more likely is the line is broken up, with someone else taking up the mantle on the first-line to move either Marner and Nylander down to line two with John Tavares.
What the Toronto Maple Leafs decide to do is an unknown, but it's hard to imagine the team continues stacking the top of their lineup rather than have balance, as they have done for years.
But after years on disappointment for the Leafs, perhaps that's a reason to hope the new line setup can be the combination that finally works out.
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Should the Toronto Maple Leafs continue the Nylander - Matthews - Marner line? | ||
