Defenseman appears to be headed back to the press box after another tough game
With the Leafs having dropped a game to the Florida Panthers on Wednesday, after outshooting them 40-29 in a very winnable game, we knew there would be some roster changes. Unfortunate for 23-year-old Timothy Liljegren, those changes will likely involve him sitting in the press box.
Liljegren was the 7th defenseman for the Leafs on Wednesday, as the club once again elected to go with an 11F/7D setup once again. On Friday at practice, Liljegren was skating on the team's 4th pair once again, which indicates that either he'll remain the 7th D or be up in the press box in Ottawa tomorrow night.
In the opinion of some, including TSN's Carlo Colaiacovo, Liljegren was at least partially responsible for the Panthers' late game-tying goal in the final minute that sent the game to overtime. After a failed clearing attempt from Liljegren, Mark Giordano was forced to take a hooking penalty with just over two minutes left in the game to prevent a goal with a wide open net. Had the zone been cleared, the Leafs likely win that game.
If Liljegren does end up in the press box once again tomorrow night, the Leafs appear to have T.J. Brodie matched up with Jake McCabe, Morgan Rielly paired with Luke Schenn and the aforementioned Giordano slotted in next to Justin Holl.
