A team with a supposed "high-powered offense" doesn't seem to have a true identity line other than its top line of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and Matthew Knies. This season, the Toronto Maple Leafs have been winning in more ways than they have in the past due to exceptional netminding from Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll.
However, the Maple Leafs goalies have cooled off from being statistically the best tandem heading into the Four Nations break; it was hard to imagine relying on two goalies that have never touched a regular season workload to carry you to a much-needed division title.
Adding Chris Tanev and deadline piece Brandon Carlo has only strengthened a d-core with multiple question marks heading into this season. However, for a team with so much power up front, it must start showing how effective they can be at putting the puck in the net for the final 19 or so games left to transition into the playoffs.
Toronto's high-power offense flexed its muscles on Monday night against the Calgary Flames due to their third line of Nick Robertson, Max Domi, and Bobby McMann.
According to NaturalStatTrick, the Leafs top line of Matthews, Marner, and Knies have played 18 more games together this season than any other line of forwards for the Leafs. The line that has played the second most games together has been Toronto's most consistent third line all season, centered by Domi, with McMann and Robertson on his flanks.
The Toronto Maple Leafs identity line has been there all along
In their 25 games together this season, Domi, McMann, and Robertson have a 5.21 expected goals rating, which is third for Leaf forward lines, per NaturalStatTrick. The only other lines ahead of them in expected goals is obviously that top line and a line of Max Pacioretty, John Tavares, and William Nylander, a line that hasn't been able to play together since February 8th because of Pacioretty's absence from the lineup. After the Domi line, the next closest line of William Nylander, John Tavares, and Pontus Holmberg has a 3.48 expected goals, a big difference from the 5.21 expected goals from Domi and his line.
One of the underwhelming storylines of this season for the Leafs has been Domi's offensive play, as he became the Leafs seventh highest-paid player this off-season when he signed a four-year deal worth 3.7 million dollars annually. The signing had an expectation for Domi to play the wing with Auston Matthews, but new coach Craig Berube didn't really give that much of a chance.
For most of this season, it has been anything but respectable. When Domi is paired with McMann and Robertson, they score and win their minutes as long as they are sheltered with a lot of ozone time. This hurts the Leafs in other ways, but so far has been the only way in which they have iced an effective third line.
Domi has six goals and 28 points on the year, making for his worst offensive season yet. This is a shame to think about because when he's played with Robertson and even more so McMann on his sides, he has found great chemistry with his wingers.
Making each other better
Four of Domi's six goals this season have been assisted by either Robertson, McMann, or both; the line's chemistry spreads throughout. Of Robertson's 12 goals this season, half of them have been assisted by Domi or McMann, and of McMann's 18 goals this season, eight have come from Robertson or Domi.
Over the course of this season, we've seen this line take over games while also giving the Leafs top guys nights off, something they have been in search of all season, even adding depth centers to ease the workload for players like Matthews, who has been battling through injuries.
Games like their recent one in Chicago stick out, where Domi assisted both of Robertson's goals. Or that three-game stretch in mid-December where the line picked up eight goals and 16 points in three games. During that three-game stretch, Domi had goals in three straight games, and for three of their eight goals, all players were involved in their goals; talk about chemistry.
Chemistry building for post season run
That chemistry should start taking form in the final 19 games because the Leafs will need depth-scoring for the playoffs, and this line has proven itself throughout their time together to produce at a high clip. Three of their possible opponents in round one of the playoffs in Florida, Tampa Bay, and Ottawa all rank in the top ten in Goals for.
This depth scoring from the Leafs is much needed as their top scorer, Auston Matthews, is having an incredibly underwhelming season, as he's battled through injury for more than half the season while not looking like himself on both ends of the ice. The Leafs need all the offense they can get, as they are one of the most top-heavy teams in the league. Most of their production is from six players: Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, John Tavares, Matthew Knies, and Bobby McMann.
Although the Leafs won't have the pleasure of watching another masterful goal chase by Matthews, they might have their identity line for the final stretch of the season and possibly the productive line they have been searching for to produce goals when they are hard to come by in the playoffs.