The Maple Leafs' dependence on their 'Core Four' forwards is even more pronounced this season as their blueliners struggle to put up points. That's not likely to change.
The Maple Leafs captain is scoring all the time again, but is he back to peak Matthews? Also, what's behind Rielly's struggles?
The Leafs’ offensive approach under Craig Berube depends on a hard and heavy forecheck, point shots and bodies around the net. “We gotta find a way to generate shots and get them through and have more traffic there,” Berube said over the weekend. “I didn’t think we won any of the rebound battles.”
Whether he’s adjusting to Berube’s system, his first season as a father, or a carousel of partners, the bottom line is that Morgan Rielly is still searching for his A game. Luke Fox provides updates on the D-man,
Another Maple Leafs win against the Tampa Bay Lightning, this one the third in three meetings this season. A pair of goals by Matthew Knies and another strong outing by Joseph Woll sent the Leafs to a 5-3 victory on Monday night at Scotiabank Arena.
NHL insider Chris Johnston recently spoke about the importance of Jake McCabe to the Toronto Maple Leafs. While trade rumors swirl around Morgan Rielly, Johnston talked about McCabe’s strong play and steady presence on the team’s blue line.