The Toronto Maple Leafs Need to Play This Lineup for the Playoffs

Fourth Line: Wayne Simmonds/Ondrej Kase – Colin Blackwell – Kyle Clifford/Nick Abruzeze

The fourth line for the Toronto Maple Leafs should be this trio of gritty players.

The entire goal of the fourth line is to be that “energy trio” who can go on a heavy forecheck and wreck havoc every chance they get.

Wayne Simmonds has been one of the most feared fighters in the league (with some people being called “stupid” by their teammates for wanting to fight him since 2013), and Kyle Clifford was a known tough guy in his time with the Los Angeles Kings.

Watching Colin Blackwell, he isn’t the biggest guy on the ice but he has the makings of being a great pest. His speed and eagerness to lay the body on the defense will only help him in this role. Playing the best players doesn’t mean you will win. It is about finding the guys who can play the role the team needs in order to succeed. Having four skill lines won’t work in today’s NHL.

The scheme on offense is quite simple for this line: Pass the puck to the point, two guys (preferably Simmonds and Clifford) screening the goaltender, and all three forwards crashing the net after the SOG. They should not move after the whistle, either, but rather stand in front of the goalie as much as they can until the opposing defensemen or refs make them move. They should dump and chase, with an aggressive forecheck, hitting whoever touches the puck.

The fourth line is really where the physical players are slotted, those who are not the best at offense, but are strong enough to hold their own in front of the net, and the willingness (or eagerness) to play physically the second you are on the ice. They should be fast as well, or they will be liabilities. This line seems to have the makings of a solid energy “checking” line, and the scheme is rather simple for them to execute.

I wouldn’t mind Nick Abruzzese on the four line to replace Clifford if he becomes irrelevant in the series. I don’t feel comfortable placing Ondrej Kase here due to the expectation of physicality and his history of head injuries, but I don’t know where else he would work given the forward depth the Maple Leafs possess.

On to the third line.

Third Line: Alex Kerfoot – David Kampf – Pierre Engvall

This third line focuses on defense, shutting down the top line of the opposition. Each one of these players are on the penalty kill for the team, and their skillset is based on covering the faceoffs in the defensive zone. This line is comprised of penalty kill forwards and would, to me, be the main line Sheldon Keefe uses to lock down Steven Stamkos, Brayden Point, and Nikita Kucherov. This line most likely won’t throw the body as one of their tendencies, but they would tire out the opposition with their work ethic and smart stick and body placement.

I have said this before, but I saw how David Kampf did with his task of shutting down Connor McDavid in 2020, and he did an amazing job with Ryan Carpenter and Matthew Highmore. Given the fact that he is now playing with two upgrades in Alex Kerfoot and Pierre Engvall, I can only think that he will make up the shutdown line again.

I don’t expect this line to do much on offense, but they have the pieces needed to deliver some depth scoring on the bottom six. With their defensive prowess, I wouldn’t be surprised to see some goals on transition following a takeaway. Alex Kerfoot is more then capable of providing depth scoring, and Engvall’s shot is nothing to scoff at. Unlike the fourth line, they are quite capable of pulling off offensive zone time with cycle play: send it around the zone, finding a shooting or passing lane.

On to line 2.

Line 2: William Nylander – John Tavares – Ilya Mikheyev

This makes one of the two skill lines, and it really does match a other team’s elite first lines, but this is what the Maple Leafs are lucky to have. Skill wise, it’s amazing to say that this is the second line, but here we are. William Nylander is a dynamic offensive player when he’s at his peak, capable of playmaking as well as play finishing (one timer, tip-in, etc). John Tavares is a former first-overall selection, and he has done well with the ice time he has been given.

However, I am a bit confused as to where to place Ilya Mikheyev as Kerfoot seems to be a better defensive forward, but I feel like Kerfoot could work out better for this line to force turnovers and turn puck battles to the Leaf’s favor. As long as Collin Blackwell doesn’t find his way back here, I don’t mind.

As you can guess based on what you have read this far, this line will be offense-focused with not just a cycle play, but also set, creative plays for Nylander and Tavares. Unlike the third line where offense is an extra, this line will be expected to take on a brunt of the goal scoring as the first line will most likely be met with the opposition’s best defenders.

Because of a (hypothetical) easier matchup, this line should have more open ice to complete plays that the first line may have trouble with. They should prefer to carry the puck into the zone and set up with the defense covering the blue line.

Skill lines are, as it says, expected to score goals and are depended on to produce on a nightly basis. Whether they score or not, the MUST create momentum for the team to feed off of and create a ton of chances, given their matchups. As the Toronto Maple Leafs have a plethora of offense, I’m not too worried at the moment, but the playoffs are all about every line doing their job. The second line may have the most pressure on them if the first line ends up being locked down.

Line 1: Mitch Marner – Auston Matthews – Michael Bunting

The term “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it” definitely fits this trio.

They have been the top line for the Toronto Maple Leafs since the season began. Mitch Marner is a dynamic playmaker and Auston Matthews is one of the best goal scorers in the league. Michael Bunting is no slouch, either, as he has 63 points on the year.

He seems to be the type of guy Marner and Matthews need on their line as he goes to the dirty areas, fighting for pucks, position in front of the net, etc. His energy seemed to be contagious as Marner has been playing with more of a snarl to his game.

Auston Matthews has hit 60 goals on the season, which is absurd given how far the game has come on defense and goaltending. Mike Bossy scored multiple 50 goal seasons, his peak being 69 goals in 1978-79, but his era did not exactly have the best goaltenders to shoot at. Now, Auston Matthews is facing a new NHL which seems to always get better.

However, if he was healthy, Matthews would have been on track for about 68 goals on the year, this is how good of a natural goal scorer Matthews is.

Marner has been having a year himself, with 97 points in 72 games at the moment. He can both dish the puck, but he has the opposition something else to think about when he’s on the rush as Matthews can pass extremely well. Bunting also gives them another option on offense as he can also pass and finish plays. They will be getting most of the load offensively, and they will have to dig deep in their effort and creativity to create plays and score goals.

This is an elite first line with dynamic, game-changing forwards who can pass, shoot, defend, etc. They will also be getting most of the attention on defense, most likely to be matched up against the opposition’s top defenders. The challenge for them would be to make adjustments to still be effective. You can bet that the Tampa Bay Lighting are doing their homework on them, and Keefe has to do his part to make sure he has options available if his plan “A” and “B” don’t work.

 Conclusion

This is the lineup I feel would do the best in the playoffs, given the playstyle of the individual and the “generic” tendencies that would be expected on their given line. The fourth line is really just out there to turn the momentum and keep the opposition accountable, making sure that they don’t take advantage of Matthews and Marner. The third line is a shutdown trio, and the two skill lines will shoulder most of the weight in scoring and scoring chances.

Now, this lineup (regardless of it’s mine or Keefe’s) has the makings of an at least Eastern Conference Finals appearance. They have the forward depth, defensive depth, and a dependable goaltender.

The only question I have for this team is whether or not they can make proper adjustments on the fly. Coaches are underrated, and a good coach can turn a bad team into a playoff team, and a playoff team into a contender, and so on. This Toronto Maple Leafs team, on paper, is expected to go on a long run, but the coaches have to do their job to meet these expectations.