Keefe Confirms Lineup for Game 4
Midway through Game 3, the Matthews line was being dominated at 5-on-5 by the Cirelli line. They were outshot 13-0 and outchanced 10-0. Thankfully, the Leafs were up 3-0 thanks to goals from their bottom 6 and Morgan Rielly. That prompted Keefe to reunite the Engvall, Kampf and Mikheyev line but also move Kerfoot to skate alongside Matthews and Marner.
The move was made for increased defensive responsibility, and Kerfoot did exactly what was needed when he was placed on the top line. Help out in the Leafs defensive zone to get pucks out of their own zone and keep pucks below the goal line in Tampa's zone. It was not a knock on Bunting's play as Keefe confirmed, the line was just not having success. At practice yesterday, the Leafs rolled the same lines they ended Game 3 with. Keefe didn't confirm at the time that they would be starting Game 4 with those lines, but finally confirmed this morning.
Hopefully these subtle changes will give Matthews and Marner more opportunities 5-on-5 against Cirelli, but if anything, it makes them defensively better in their own zone. Bunting adds some more speed on the fourth line along with a bit more sandpaper to go against Maroon and Perry. Defensively, «PK specialist» Justin Holl remains in the lineup skating alongside Mark Giordano. Let's hope he does what he's supposed to do tonight and kill penalties instead of taking them. Keefe is hoping the lack of line changes will bring out his team's best effort as he said that he believes the Leafs have not played their best hockey yet.
