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Maple Leafs expected to keep new-look top-six intact vs. Canucks, starting goalie to be determined
Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

It appears that the Toronto Maple Leafs won’t be making any lineup changes ahead of Saturday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks, with their starting goalie to be determined.

Anthony Stolarz was excellent in his first start since December 12, leading the Maple Leafs to a 3-1 win over the Seattle Kraken on Thursday. Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube has not stated if Stolarz or Joseph Woll will start against the Canucks, but either option provides Toronto with a bonafide chance of extending its three-game winning streak. Woll has operated as a true No. 1 in Stolarz’s absence, with a 19-10-0 record and .909 save percentage, while Stolarz has posted a 10-5-2 record in 18 appearances, sporting a league-best .929 save percentage.

Max Domi remained on Toronto’s top line alongside Matthew Knies and Auston Matthews during Friday’s practice, while William Nylander, John Tavares and Mitch Marner were paired together on the second unit — the same groups used during Thursday’s victory over Seattle. Knies-Matthews-Domi controlled 85 percent of the expected goals at 5-on-5 during Thursday’s win and Domi is much better suited to the wing than he is at centre, while Berube continues to experiment with his optimal combinations. Toronto’s roster could look a lot different after the trade deadline, so it’s compelling to see what the best samples are during the regular season, as Nylander-Tavares-Marner could form a dominant scoring punch.

Morgan Rielly will remain with Oliver Ekman-Larsson, in what’s been a resurgent week for Rielly. Rielly has struggled throughout the year, but he’s come alive during the road trip, entering the rush, getting shots on net, and he was Toronto’s best defenceman in Thursday’s victory. If Rielly returns to the form we’ve come to expect, it will provide the Maple Leafs with a major boost, and with McCabe-Tanev operating as the clear No. 1 pairing, playing against inferior opponents could work wonders, as the Maple Leafs remain on fire entering the 4 Nations Face-Off break.

Maple Leafs’ projected lineup vs. Canucks 

Matthew Knies-Auston Matthews-Max Domi

William Nylander-John Tavares-Mitch Marner

Bobby McMann-Pontus Holmberg-Nick Robertson

Max Pacioretty-David Kampf-Steven Lorentz

Morgan Rielly-Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Jake McCabe-Chris Tanev

Simon Benoit-Philippe Myers

This article first appeared on TheLeafsnation and was syndicated with permission.

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