"Coming off one of their better 60-minute efforts of the season against Columbus (not saying much, granted), Craig Berube ran three new lines to start this big Saturday night clash in Montreal. I'll give Berube credit for hyping up the importance of this game after Friday's practice, making no bones about calling it a big one for his team. Berube: "It is a big game. We talked about it this morning. It is obviously a big divisional game. It is always a big game against Montreal, and it is a big game for us in terms of where we are at and where we are heading. So, it's a big game.""
"Where Berube lost me is the ill-conceived line changes: Dakota Joshua with Nick Robertson and Max Domi (in what world)? There are two right-handed wingers in the whole lineup, and they're on the same line (Calle Jarnkrok and William Nylander, with Jarnkrok on the left)? Popping Sammy Blais in for this one makes sense against his hometown/former team, but dropping Jacob Quillan, thereby forcing Steven Lorentz back into the middle and splitting up Lorentz and Scott Laughton to start - the one duo that has been really dependable for the team when healthy - at a time when the lineup is in such flux with injuries? Some real head-shakers."
Craig Berube opened the Montreal game with three new forward lines and publicly emphasized its importance. The Leafs showed early jump and physicality after the internal build-up. Berube's line choices drew criticism, including Dakota Joshua paired with Nick Robertson and Max Domi, two right-handed wingers aligned together, and inserting Sammy Blais while scratching Jacob Quillan. The changes forced Steven Lorentz back to center and split the dependable Lorentz-Scott Laughton pairing. The Leafs collapsed in the second period, allowing Montreal to dominate and leaving fans embarrassed, with comparisons to the lopsided start of Game 7 against Florida.
Read at Maple Leafs Hotstove
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