Leafs Confirm Lineup Changes Ahead of their Clash with the Bruins, Including One Nobody Saw Coming
The Toronto Maple Leafs have confirmed following the morning skate that there will be two changes to their lineup for Saturday's clash with the Boston Bruins.
It's early on in the Toronto Maple Leafs season, but this week, they're playing the worst hockey they've played thus far. While it's not exactly clear what the problem is, it appears that head coach Craig Berube and his staff plan to continue tinkering until they find a combination that works.
In a surprising turn of events, Philippe Myers will make his Maple Leafs debut tonight. It also indicates that he has leapfrogged Timothy Liljegren on the depth chart, which all but confirms that Liljegren's tenure in Toronto is over.
In a less surprising update, Max Pacioretty is also in for the Buds tonight, replacing Pontus Holmberg, who Berube recently singled out for his poor play to start the season.
While it was obvious that Pacioretty wasn't going to play all 82 games for Toronto this season, the lack of playing time for Liljegren has been difficult to understand, except to suggest that he isn't a fit with Berube's system and that the coach does not feel as though he can trust him.
While Liljegren is in the first year of a contract that pays him $3 million annually, having term on his deal will actually make him easier to trade.
Whatever thoughts have gone into these decisions for Saturday night, one thing is clear; if the Toronto Maple Leafs want to get out of this early season slump, they simply have to show up and start on time. The time for excuses and rhetoric is over.
