Yesterday, the top two NHL teams in the last 30 games faced off for a fierce battle, with the Carolina Hurricanes emerging victorious over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Despite missing Mitch Marner once again, the Leafs put up a good fight, with goalie Joseph Woll shining by making 41 saves and exceeding expectations. Frederik Andersen, the former Leafs goalie now with the Hurricanes, also played remarkably by saving all eight high-danger chances he faced. While Woll’s performance was a highlight for the Leafs, their struggle with shots on goal and shot attempts continued, frustrating coach Sheldon Keefe who experimented with different forward line combinations. T.J. Brodie returned to the lineup after missing two games but was not on the top penalty kill unit and played fewer minutes than usual. Timothy Liljegren stood out as one of the Leafs’ top players for the night, following his strong performance against the Oilers.
The Leafs are facing a dilemma with Brodie, a former key player who seems to have lost his edge. His decline in physical presence and passing ability has made him a liability. Despite his experience, Connor Timmins has proven to be more effective in moving the puck and contributing offensively. Edmundson, who had a strong performance recently, was surprisingly given minimal ice time compared to Brodie.
In the last ten games, Brodie has shown the worst on-ice goal percentage on the team, while Timmins and Edmundson have demonstrated better results. Bertuzzi, after recovering from illness, had been playing well with Matthews and Domi but was later moved to a less effective line with Tavares and Nylander. Keefe tried various line combinations during the game, except for putting Robertson, the most effective goal scorer, with any of the top six players. Robertson has been one of the team’s top goal scorers per 60 minutes this season.
