Morgan Rielly Reacts to His Reduced Role With the Maple Leafs
Photo credit: Sportsnet
Maple Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly has commented on his reduction in ice-time and his new defensive partner after he was split from Philippe Myers.
Despite the Toronto Maple Leafs' success so far this season, it's been a tough year for defenceman Morgan Rielly.
Rielly saw his ice time slashed significantly in the Leafs' blowout win over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night.
In the very next game, against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Rielly received a new D partner as he was paired with Jake McCabe rather than Philippe Myers. McCabe, one of the team's premier shutdown defensemen, should have made real difference for Rielly. Unfortunately, it hasn't worked out that way.
Asked about his recent struggles and new partner by reporters, Rielly insisted that his lack of offense this season isn't really on his mind.
"I think you're always trying to get better. I mean, you're never satisfied, you're always trying to improve. Play within the structure and optimize what you're doing to help the team, bring the best out of yourself. That's what we're all trying to do right now."
As for his new defensive partner Jake McCabe, Rielly believes it's a great fit.
"He's obviously a great player. I thought we had good communication and played well. So, we're going to look to build on it."
Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube agreed, saying he thought the Rielly-McCabe pairing was "solid" against the Lightning.
"It allowed Morgan to do his thing a little bit more... jumping up on the play, and Caber will sit back and let him do his thing, and he was up in the rush on a few plays and had some opportunities."
Unfortunately, the pair has struggled in the early-going and Rielly himself had finished a -2 last night against Columbus. Any new pairing can take some time to develop chemistry, but they're off to a concerning start.
Amid questions over his long-term future with the Maple Leafs, Rielly appears to be doing all he can to help the team and to get back to the offensive threat that he can be on the ice.
| POLL | ||
JANVIER 23 | 2035 ANSWERS Morgan Rielly Reacts to His Reduced Role With the Maple Leafs Do you think Morgan Rielly of the Toronto Maple Leafs can get back to being an offensive threat before this season ends? | ||
| Yes | 802 | 39.4 % |
| No | 924 | 45.4 % |
| Not sure | 309 | 15.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
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