Matthew Knies, whose two goals this season came in the same game against Tampa Bay last month, will be on the Leafs鈥 top line when they host the Lightning on Monday.
Matthew Knies, whose two goals this season came in the same game against Tampa Bay last month, will be on the Leafs鈥 top line when they host the Lightning on Monday.
Those four are playing just fine this season, but the Leafs are reeling. They’re on a four-game skid (0-2-2) that can be linked to a thin defence and a lack of offence from forwards outside the Core Four. And every time head coach Sheldon Keefe shuffles the lines of his capped-out team, it feels a bit like throwing spaghetti at a wall to see what sticks.
Rookie Matthew Knies is the latest to get an audition on the left side of Matthews and Marner, practising there Sunday as the Leafs prepared for a Monday visit by the Tampa Bay Lightning.
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鈥淚t’s a privilege to play with those two,鈥 Knies said. 鈥淭hey’re incredible players. I’m excited about it. I’m really happy to be there. I’m going to do the best I can.
鈥淚 think we have a lot of tenacity. Auston has great playmaking ability, and I find myself around the net.鈥
Knies showed top-six talent when he made his debut at the end of last season and through the playoffs, but it would seem Keefe didn’t want to put too much on the rookie’s plate too early. But with very little working elsewhere, the time seemed right.
鈥淲e’re looking to get more from our entire group,鈥 Keefe said.
It’s common knowledge the Leafs are committing about half their cap space to the Core Four, leaving little around the edges to attract free agents or keep their own. Zach Hyman left for more money. Ditto Michael Bunting and Ilya Mikheyev.
All grew into their top six roles in Toronto. None were sure things. But Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi should be. Bertuzzi is a former 30-goal scorer. Domi once led a team in points. Neither have found their way with the Leafs.
Bertuzzi will remain with Tavares and Nylander, the one line that is above average in terms of expected goals . Keefe has praised Bertuzzi as a player who is not being rewarded despite doing a lot of 鈥渓ittle things鈥 right. His expected goals percentage is the highest on the team (56.59). He just hasn’t been able to buy a goal the last four games.
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The third and fourth lines have been nothing short of disastrous, with expected goals well below average at 35 per cent. It’s gotten to the point that if Keefe wants to play his fourth line to give his other lines a break, he has to do so in the offensive zone, because it is getting killed in the defensive zone. That’s the opposite of what fourth lines should do, and it takes offensive moments away from the top lines.
A new third line should make its debut against Tampa Bay, with the defensively sound Calle J盲rnkrok and defensively capable Pontus Holmberg playing with Domi. Domi and Holmberg may switch off each other as centres. David K盲mpf moves to the fourth line, where he belongs, between Noah Gregor and Ryan Reaves.
鈥淔or us, it’s seeing if Domi gets the puck in the middle of the ice, offensively, if he can help push that line, give it more of an offensive push, get him unlocked,鈥 Keefe said.
Domi has yet to score in 11 games.
鈥淪taying with it,鈥 he said. 鈥淚f you keep chipping away at that rock, eventually it’s going to break. Frustration is one of those words that get spun off a little too much. If you’re getting frustrated 10 games in because you haven’t done X, Y or Z, you probably shouldn’t be in the NHL.
鈥淎s a whole, everyone can be better. I include myself as part of that group.鈥
As for the defence, there was a smidgen of good news. Jake McCabe, who missed the last four games with a groin injury, took part in the full practice and might play Monday.
Kevin McGran is a Star sports reporter based in Toronto. Follow
him on Bluesky聽@kevinmcgran
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