Leafs scratch two top defensemen for tonight's game against Montreal
Ahead of the home finale against the Montreal Canadiens tonight, it looked like the Leafs may have been preparing to reunite T.J. Brodie and Morgan Rielly on the team's top pair. However, that doesn't seem to be the case. In fact, both may end up being scratched.
This morning at practice, Rielly and Brodie skated as a pair, with Jake McCabe and Justin Holl lining up next to one another on the 2nd pair. Mark Giordano and Timothy Liljegren were slotted in as the 3rd pair. However, Rielly and Brodie joined Conor Timmins on the ice for extra work following practice. If a player stays late at practice that typically means they will be a scratch for the upcoming game. With the Leafs having clinched home ice, Rielly and Brodie will more than likely be watching from the press box.
Erik Gustafson took reps on the first powerplay unit, which means he could be making his return after missing a couple of weeks to tend to a personal family issue, concerning the health of his daughter. He was paired with Luke Schenn at practice, so with Brodie and Rielly likely to have the night off, I'd imagine Gustafsson/Schenn will be tonight's 3rd pair with the other two groups shifting up.
