WASHINGTON, D.C. — Five forwards. Full send.
Eager to jolt some life into a slumping power play, the Toronto Maple Leafs teased a bold new 5-on-4 look Saturday morning ahead of their game against the Washington Capitals.
Elite winger and part-time defenceman Mitchell Marner assumed Rasmus Sandin's position at the point. William Nylander and Auston Matthews occupied the flanks. John Tavares stood net-front. And Michael Bunting, formerly of the seldom-used second power-play unit, patrolled the slot as a distributor.
“More attack. All offence,” says Bunting, who is riding a 10-game point streak but understands the risks of such a formation.
“I’m sure they’re going to be on the rush just knowing there’s no D out there. But I think we’re going to be fine.”
The Maple Leafs’ power play, one of the club’s calling cards, has not been fine of late. Hence, the coaching staff’s openness to experimentation.
Last season, the Maple Leafs operated the NHL’s most dangerous power play (27.3 per cent). However, they’ve scored only five times over their past 38 attempts (13.16 per cent) and have dropped to 11th overall in the category (23.8 per cent).
“Horrible, really,” Marner said of a power play that went 0-for-3 in Thursday’s 3-1 loss to the New York Rangers.
The look is certainly compelling but not completely unique.
The offensively minded Florida Panthers memorably went with a five-forward PP1 last season when their usual point man, Aaron Ekblad, went down to injury.
And Toronto’s power-play slump has aligned with the injury to usual quarterback Morgan Rielly.
“I don’t think it should be too much of an adjustment. Just guys in different spots trying to read off each other," says Matthews, who thinks Marner's shiftiness will help him up top. "He’s very deceptive and definitely doesn’t look out of place.”
Coach Sheldon Keefe won’t commit to breaking out the setup in a game just yet. He’d like the Thrive Five to get some more practice time.
“Obviously the power play hasn't been good enough for the last month or so, and we need to start looking at some different options,” Keefe says.
“You get another high-end player on the ice. That would be about it. But let's see if we actually use it before we start making a big deal about it.”
The Capitals have won five of their past six games, and Keefe expects a motivated opponent considering Washington is coming off a tight 2-1 loss to the Dallas Stars.
As it was Thursday in New York, special teams could be the difference considering the Capitals hold the last change.
“They got a fourth line that is as good as any in the league, and they’ll use it against us tonight against our top guys, which opens up favourable matchups for them throughout the rest of the lineup,” Keefe says.
“They’re a team that's got a lot of confidence and feeling good about their game. They've been playing teams pretty consistently here for quite a while now.”
One-Timers: Timothy Liljegren’s right hand swelled up from a blocked shot midway through Thursday’s game. X-rays were negative, and he is good to play. “He's played great,” says Keefe, “and you don't want to see any disruptions to the momentum that he's built here.” ... The Maple Leafs recalled Mac Hollowell because Liljegren isn’t the only player banged up but nothing so serious as to keep anyone out of Saturday’s game.
Bunting – Matthews – Nylander
Malgin – Tavares – Marner
Kerfoot – Kämpf – Engvall
Aston-Reese – Holmberg – Anderson
Giordano – Holl
Sandin – Liljegren
Brodie – Timmins
Samsonov starts
Murray
