The Toronto Maple Leafs recently put an end to a rough winless streak with a 6-4 win against the previously undefeated Winnipeg Jets and a key part of this turnaround has been the emergence of a new line combination that brought some serious firepower.
After going without a point in his previous three games, the Maple Leafs made sure William Nylander got more puck touches by putting him on a line John Tavares and Max Pacioretty.
From the moment the trio hit the ice together in Winnipeg, their chemistry was evident. While Nylander had previously seen success some success with linemates Max Domi and Bobby McMann, it was clear that momentum was fading and Nylander didn’t look like his usual self on the ice.
Before the game, Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said he felt frustration set into Nylander’s game and he was looking to get him more time with the puck.
The trio were on the ice for four goals, while not allowing a single goal against.
“I think the line that we had before, we had a good go together and making a lot of plays. We weren’t getting clear looks and stuff in the past couple games, so sometimes the switch-up is good. I thought both lines I’ve been on have been playing really well,” Nylander said after the game.
Nylander got off to a hot start to the season by scoring five goals and adding two assists in the first six games of the season, but it was clear his previous line was running out of gas. As John Tavares and Max Pacioretty also seemed to struggle on a third line, moving them both up to the second line to play with Nylander saw the Leafs present the very best of what they can have with three players performing to their maximum potential.
“I think we’ve been in the league for a while, and Max, obviously, an all-star caliber player. He’s had a great career. He just really knows his game and how he can impact, and he’s just really smart,” Tavares said of Pacioreitty. “With Willy on our wing tonight, I know we’ve got one of the best wingers in the world there, just his ability to make plays. And just keeping the game simple and letting our instincts kind of come out, reading off one another, and knowing that we’ve got to do a good job without the puck as well.”
Pacioretty joined the Maple Leafs on a one-year deal with games played incentives that can take his compensation up to $1.5 million. He’s on a prove-it type deal to show that he’s fully recovered from twice injuring his Achilles. Meanwhile, John Tavares is in the final year of a seven-year contract that carries an annual salary cap hit of $11 million.
With both players relegated to the third line, their promotion seemed to give the guys a much-needed boost.
The Leafs, at times, feel like they just haven’t had the center depth needed to go very far and having Tavares in that spot certainly made it look stronger. But it was less than ideal. Max Domi has been fine as a centre, but his biggest strength has been while playing with skilled wingers, like we saw when he was put on the top line for last year’s playoff run. When the Maple Leafs get to the point where they will be looking for help at the deadline, a Bonafide center will definitely be a top priority for the club.
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