Toronto Maple Leafs Ideal Lines for Game 1 of the Playoffs

The Toronto Maple Leafs  beat the Florida Panthers last night on the backs of a two-goal Auston Matthews performance.

Though many are quick to excuse the Toronto Maple Leafs recent horrible play by referencing the new players and line combinations, I don’t think it’s that simple.

Without Ryan O’Reilly in the lineup, the Leafs are simply a worse team than they were before the deadline, because Rasmus Sandin and Pierre Engvall are superior to the rest of the players they added.

Be that as it may, the Leafs will have O’Reilly back for the playoffs and with him, the ability to ice three excellent centres down the middle of their lineup.

Here, for your consideration, are the lines the Leafs should use come playoff time.

Toronto Maple Leafs Playoff Lines

The Toronto Maple Leafs first line should consist of Michael Bunting, Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.

This is the best line they’ve had for two years, and despite every effort to find something that works better, Sheldon Keefe hasn’t topped it.  Bunting is at his best with Matthews and Marner where he is basically a 5v5 superstar.  Anywhere else in the lineup and he doesn’t even qualify as above average, so this should be a no-brainer.  I hate the term “no-brainer” but I’m forced to use it here, my apologies.

The second line should be Alex Kerfoot (fast, defensively responsible, doesn’t need to score much to be effective) with John Tavares and William Nylander.  These two lines combine to give the Leafs what is probably the best top-six in the NHL and it’s crazy how much they’ve have messed with it.

It is proven to work, so let it alone!

On the third line, the Leafs should try Matthews Kniews or Bobby McMann with Ryan O’Reilly and Calle Jarnkrok.  This line will score and likely destroy any other third line in it’s path.  I really look forward to seeing what Knies can do, but the loss of Nick Robertson is an extremely underrated loss.  He is such a hardworking buzz-saw kind of player that he’d mesh perfectly with O’Reilly and the kid has one of the best shots in the entire world.

The fourth line should feature Zach Aston Reese and Noel Acciar centred by David Kampf.  Kampf is kind of redundant with O’Reilly in the house, so if they really want to they can put Sam Lafferty here.

Tomorrow, we’ll talk D-pairings.