Toronto Maple Leafs: No Leo Komarov In Game Four

Unfortunately, Leo Komarov isn’t ready to return to the Toronto Maple Leafs‘ lineup.

Earlier today, Chris Johnston of Rogers Sportsnet tweeted the news that Komarov won’t be ready to rejoin the lineup tomorrow night.

Mike Babcock spoke to the press shortly after practice. He mentioned that Komarov was absent from the Toronto Maple Leafs’ morning skate. He was given a personal day and wouldn’t be in the lineup for game four.

Komarov sustained a  what appeared to be a knee injury against the Boston Bruins. He took a hit from the Bruins’ defenseman, Kevan Miller which took him out of the game.

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This season, Komarov registered 7 goals, 12 assists, 2 PPG, 3 PPP, 6.1 S% and 44.8 CF%. While his offensive numbers aren’t high, they didn’t need to be. He was one of the most physical Maple Leafs and wasn’t afraid to put his body on the line to shut teams down. In 74 games, he logged 219 hits and 48 blocks. With Komarov out of the lineup, the Maple Leafs lose a ton of physicality. They also get faster, and arguably better.

In Komarov’s Absence

In game three, Mike Babcock opted to go with Dominic Moore, Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson on his fourth line. Unfortunately for Johnsson, Brad Marchand of the Bruins tried to cause trouble. Marchand appeared to have injured Johnsson. He then went to the locker room to be evaluated by the Maple Leafs’ trainers. The trainers cleared him and he was back on the ice in minutes. After jumping back onto the ice, Johnsson showcased his speed and proved that Marchand the menace couldn’t slow him down.

Per a tweet from TSN’s Kristen Shilton, Johnsson, Moore and Kapanen were on the fourth line in practice. It appears that Babcock will keep the band together for game four.

Who Needs To Step Up?

Roman Polak will have a lot on his mind tomorrow night. Aside from Matt Martin and Komarov, Polak was third on the Toronto Maple Leafs’ squad in hits this season with 131. In addition, he was fourth on the team in blocks. This playoff series, he’s logging an average of around 4 hits and 2 blocks per game.

He could be expected to have a high TOI in game four to replace the physicality that Komarov would have brought to the lineup. The Bruins squad is extremely physical and isn’t afraid to plant a hit when need be. It is smarter, however, if the Leafs ignore this and focus on their own strengths – speed and skill.

Next: From the Netherlands to Toronto

At this point, Komarov seems to be a player in decline and even if he was healthy there is no guarantee he’d be in the lineup, though it’s likely Babcock would use him.  Therefore, this injury may be a blessing in disguise – Andreas Johnsson may give the Leafs a better chance to win.

stats from NHL.com & hockey-reference.com