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Toronto Maple Leafs: Best Line Combinations for the Playoffs

By James Tanner

TORONTO, ON - DECEMBER 06: Toronto Maple Leafs Center Auston Matthews (34) is chased behind the net by Detroit Red Wings Defenceman Dennis Cholowski (21) during the regular season NHL game between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs on December 6, 2018 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, ON. (Photo by Gerry Angus/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - DECEMBER 06: Toronto Maple Leafs Center Auston Matthews (34) is chased behind the net by Detroit Red Wings Defenceman Dennis Cholowski (21) during the regular season NHL game between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs on December 6, 2018 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, ON. (Photo by Gerry Angus/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Toronto Maple Leafs
TORONTO,ON – DECEMBER 6: Morgan Rielly #44 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates with the puck against the Detroit Red Wings during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on December 6, 2018 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Red Wings defeated the Maple Leafs 5-4 in overtime. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /

Defense

On Defense, the Toronto Maple Leafs have a lot of options because Morgan Rielly, Jake Muzzin and Jake Gardiner are legitimate top pairing players.  Before Gardiner went down, Babcock set it up so one of the Big Three would always be on the ice, but since Travis Dermott pretty much dominates in third pairing minutes, it would be pointless and wasteful to have one of the Big Three on the third pairing.

Pairing One:  Rielly and Gardiner

Morgain Rielly is a superstar now and needs no introduction.  Objectively speaking, he should win the Norris Trophy.  Jake Gardiner is a great player too, and in the time that both players have been on the team, they’ve combined for about a year’s worth of minutes and put up great numbers.

This should be the Leafs top pairing.  Gardiner is so much better than Ron Hainsey it’s not even funny.  The Leafs simply cannot enter the playoffs with both of Zaitsev and Hainsey in their top four.

Pairing Two: Muzzin and Zaitsev

I’m not a huge Nikita Zaitsev fan, but I think he’s better than Ron Hainsey.  Plus, he and Muzzin have put up a 51% CF rating so far, which is good, and also better than what Zaitsev/Gardiner put up.  Don’t fix what ain’t broke.

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