Justin Holl has been the scapegoat for the Leafs throughout his tenure in Toronto, but it has been taken to a whole new level this season. While he does make some good decisions on the ice and is actually an excellent penalty killer, the mistakes he has made have unfortunately been glaring as they have often led to goals against. Those errors have been magnified for Holl due to Jake Muzzin's absence and the fact that Holl had been used as someone to shoulder the load playing with Rasmus Sandin.
The past couple of games, however, Sheldon Keefe decided to put Holl in a much better position to succeed - alongside T.]. Brodie. Since pairing up, Holl and Brodie have played surprisingly well together. So well, in fact, that they currently rank in the top 2 in multiple defensive metrics among pairings that have played at least 60 5-on-5 minutes together. These metrics are shot attempts against per 60, expected goals against per 60, scoring chances against per 60 and high danger chances against per 60, as you can see below.
While we can't expect them to continue at this pace, they have certainly shown through the last number of games that they can be a solid shutdown pairing. Not only that but playing with Brodie has allowed Holl to focus on the basics and not have to worry about supporting a younger, less experienced partner like Liljegren or Sandin.
