Maple Leafs use 12-6 lineup in practice; Holl skates as extra
Published
The Toronto Maple Leafs could be set to deploy another new-look lineup in Game 1 of their second-round series against the Florida Panthers.
The Maple Leafs returned to a 12 forwards, six defenceman lineup in their practice Monday, with Mark Giordano and Timothy Liljegren forming the final defence pairing.
Forward Sam Lafferty was in a grey sweater for the skate, usually reserved for scratches, while Zach Aston-Reese was in bottom-six white.
Aston-Reese skated on the fourth line in line rushes with David Kampf and Alex Kerfoot. Rookie winger Matthew Knies was on the top line with Auston Matthews and William Nylanter. Calle Jarnkrok, John Tavares and Mitch Marner formed the second line, with Ryan O'Reilly at centre on the third line with Michael Bunting and Noel Acciari.
Lafferty and Aston-Reese were both scratched for the first time in the playoffs in Saturday's Game 6 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, with Bunting dressing for the first time since Game 1. Bunting served a three-game suspension before being a healthy scratch in Toronto's Game 5 loss.
Defenceman Justin Holl skated as an extra Monday with Erik Gustafsson. He was scratched from the lineup for the first time in Saturday's Game 6, with Liljegren and Gustafsson making their 2023 postseason debuts.
Giordano worked on the Maple Leafs' second power play with Nylander, Jarnkrok, Bunting and Knies. Matthews, Marner, Tavares, O'Reilly and Morgan Rielly formed the top power play unit.
Murray practices, Kallgren loaned to Marlies
Goaltender Matt Murray returned to practice with the Maple Leafs Monday for the first time since suffering a concussion on April 2.
His appearance on-ice with the team came shortly after the Maple Leafs loaned to goaltender Erik Kallgren to the Toronto Marlies.
Murray appeared in 26 games for the Maple Leafs this year, posting a 14-8-2 record.
He had a .903 save percentage and 3.01 goals against average this season, his first with Toronto after he was acquired via trade from the Ottawa Senators.
Kallgren did not dress during the Maple Leafs' first-round series, with Joseph Woll serving as Ilya Samsonov's backup.