Craig Berube Sends a Clear Message Ahead of Red Wings Matchup: The Maple Leafs Are Built to Hit Back
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube's lineup sends a clear message to the Detroit Red Wings ahead of their Saturday night matchup: Be ready to get physical.
Friday saw the Maple Leafs take the ice for practice ahead of their second game of the season against the Detroit Red Wings as they look to make it two wins in a row after a solid opener against Montreal.
Easton Cowan will potentially make his debut, and the team will look to make an impact heading into Scotiabank Arena.
Berube's Line Combinations Reveal a Tougher Maple Leafs Team
So who is going to be lining up for Craig Berube on Saturday?
Well we have a solid idea with his practice lines, but as always they can change at a moment's notice.
Knies - Matthews - Maccelli
McMann - Tavares - Nylander
Joshua - Domi - Robertson
Lorentz - Roy- Jarnkrok
Extra: Cowan, Blais
McMann - Tavares - Nylander
Joshua - Domi - Robertson
Lorentz - Roy- Jarnkrok
Extra: Cowan, Blais
Rielly - Carlo
McCabe - Tanev
Benoit - OEL
Extra: Myers
McCabe - Tanev
Benoit - OEL
Extra: Myers
Stolarz
Primeau
Primeau
It's the same lineup we saw for the season opener however the addition of Blais to the mix adds something new.
He's someone who Craig Berube has a lot of respect and use for, so we could see him slotting in for someone like Calle Jarnkrok.
That said with Jarnkrok showing a ton of improvement after surgery, and scoring already; it might be hard to push him out of the lineup right now.
Another omission is Easton Cowan, who is still waiting for his chance to debut, and there was a lot of hope that a tilt against Detroit would be a great way to get his feet wet (and someone he is semi-familiar playing against).
Fans aren't too happy either:
There is a chance that Cowan is going to play, the lineup isn't set in stone, and if he ends up leaving the ice with the rest of the team as opposed to staying on; it's a good indicator he'll play.
How Toronto's New-Look Defense Mirrors Its Physical Mindset
You're also adding Philippe Myers on defense, and for a depth option you can't really go wrong. He has a ton of size, physicality, and actually more competent a defender than some give him credit for.
Toronto also has Simon Benoit lining up on the left side, a strange switch up considering how much positive impact Oliver Ekman-Larsson has had since going back to his proper side.
While they worked well last season, there is something to be said for keeping OEL on the left side. He's more comfortable, and with that comfort comes confidence; something they want him to have if he's running the second PP unit.
This defense is built to block a ton of shots, be physical but defensively savvy, and have a certain edge to their game. It's not about fighting as Berube put it, but having both mental and physical toughness.
Clearly he trusts his defense enough to move things back to where they were last year, but also might be a bit more privy to putting Ekman-Larsson on his left side, especially with Myers (a right-handed shot).
Craig Berube wants a physical lineup and certainly brought one in, but there are some tweaks he should make that would give them an even bigger punch going forward.
