Jim Hiller makes a significant Maple Leafs lineup change during a comeback win

During last night's 5-4 comeback win over the Nashville Predators, Maple Leafs head coach Jim Hiller tried out some new lineup adjustments that produced results immediately.

The Leafs fell behind 3-0 early in the second period, but Gavin McKenna and John Tavares connected for the team's first goal, followed by a William Nylander goal to cut the lead to one.

Both the preds and the Leafs would score a goal at the end of the second period, but in the third, you saw significant lineup adjustments that would generate alot of offence.

I don't think we opened it up and played just all-in offence. Well, we got behind early, but there was lots of time left in the game. I thought we still had some defensive structure to the game.

In the NHL, it is quite common to see teams down by multiple goals sell out for offence and attempt to get themselves back in it. Hiller felt that the team didn't abandon that balance while still making line adjustments to get themselves back in the game, and ultimately, the win.

The lineup adjustments allowed the Maple Leafs to be dominant on both sides of the ice

You saw lineup adjustments of:

Roslovic - Matthews - Nylander
Cowan - Tavares - Marchenko
McKenna - Paul - Sissons
Groulx - Blueger - Duhaime

In periods two and three plus overtime, the Maple Leafs outshot the Predators 29-14, and if you only count the third period and OT, it was 16-7.

The adjustments worked tremendously, and you saw the Leafs dominate over the last stretch of the game - something Hiller touched on:

It turned out well. We'll have to decide if we start the next game like that, you guys had been asking. We'd been thinking about it. We'd had many conversations, so it wasn't necessarily something that was a spur-of-the-moment thing. We kind of knew that if we did something, it might look something like what you saw.

How will the Leafs lineup look going forward?

Everything is so brand new that the coaching staff and players are figuring things out on the fly.

When you have as much roster turnover as the Maple Leafs have had, with nine new forwards in the lineup who were not here last season, and a shortened preseason, it leads the coaching staff to try to make adjustments and lineups on the fly to see what works.

This lineup is not set in stone, and that's a good problem to have when you have a forward group with as much talent as Toronto does.

You also have 18-year-old rookie Gavin McKenna, who is still trying to get his feet under him, despite recording two points last night and scoring the first goal of his professional career.

Roster flexibility is crucial, and having guys be able to play different roles is key. It also makes sense for the coaching staff to play their cards close to their chest and not reveal lineup combinations going into the next game.

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