While most of the attention is on Mitch Marner, Timothy Liljegren is on an impressive streak of his own right now
He was forced into playing heavier, top-4 minutes without Jake Muzzin, T.J. Brodie and Morgan Rielly, but it has only helped Timothy Liljegren thrive. He played the most minutes among Leaf defensemen on Tuesday night against Dallas - including almost a full two-minute 5-on-3 kill with Rasmus Sandin.
While both Liljegren and Sandin have been outstanding together in a larger role this season, the former is currently on quite a streak at 5-on-5. Over his past 7 games, Liljegren has not been on the ice for a 5v5 goal against. Not only that, but the Leafs have won his 5-on-5 minutes 16-4 this season, as The Athletic's Kevin Papetti points out.
It's quite the streak for Liljegren, considering it started once he was elevated to a top-4 role and further proves that he has made strides in his development. He, along with Sandin, have played extremely well in their expanded roles and when the Leafs are healthy on the blueline, Keefe will be able to roll 3 pairs confidently after seeing how the two young blueliners have responded to an increase in responsibility.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 10 | 231 ANSWERS While most of the attention is on Mitch Marner, Timothy Liljegren is on an impressive streak of his own right now Is Timothy Liljegren the best right-shot defenseman in Toronto? | ||
| Yes | 200 | 86.6 % |
| No | 31 | 13.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
