October is for experimenting and it’s too early to give up on Knies-Matthews-Cowan

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube appeared to be slightly exasperated following Tuesday’s 5-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils, and few could fault him. It was a thorough beating, as the Devils’ superior speed in transition made the Maple Leafs look a step or two slower, a contention that Berube seemingly disagreed with, but in any event, Toronto’s head coach has grown frustrated with the first line.

“I think early on in the season, I thought, you know, they were getting their opportunities and looking pretty good,” Berube said. “Now, it’s like, it’s obviously not good enough. I don’t feel like they have any sustained pressure in the offensive zone at all. It’s one and done, then they’re out.”

Berube quickly followed up by saying he’s running out of patience while searching for the ideal combination.

“I’m getting tired of it, to be honest with you,” Berube surmised.

It’s more than fair to be frustrated with Toronto’s output through a 3-3-1 start where it has looked inconsistent. Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz called out William Nylander and Auston Matthews following a 4-3 loss to the Seattle Kraken, the power play isn’t clicking, and once again there’s an offensive imbalance. There is one catch: Easton Cowan was easily one of the Maple Leafs’ 12 best forwards and the first line was working when he was affixed on the right wing, alongside Matthews and Matthew Knies. Berube abandoned one of the few combinations that has worked in October, and it’s a keen reminder that the early stages of the season are precisely for tinkering with your lineup, in search for some ideal combinations heading into April, and beyond.

Berube explained Tuesday morning that Cowan needed to watch a game in the press box and there’s nothing wrong with his game. It wasn’t cause for major concern, but it certainly was puzzling. Cowan may have registered just one point through four games, but he constantly extended plays in the offensive zone and most importantly, won the puck back for Knies and Matthews to generate scoring chances. Matthews started the year as one of the NHL’s most dangerous shot-creators in the league, but when paired with Max Domi instead of Cowan, the line completely fizzled against the Devils.

Ahead of Friday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres, Berube reshuffled the lines again. Bobby McMann, Auston Matthews and William Nylander form the first line, Matthew Knies, John Tavares and Matias Maccelli are the second line, Easton Cowan is reinserted into the lineup on the third line alongside Dakota Joshua and Nicolas Roy, while Max Domi centres Steven Lorentz and Calle Jarnkrok on the fourth. There are some proponents of this lineup, who are notably thrilled about the idea of pairing Matthews and Nylander together. This isn’t to suggest that Friday’s lineup won’t work, merely that Berube still needs to keep pushing for the ideal combinations, while realizing he’s found one proven combination thus far.

Knies-Matthews-Cowan outshot opponents 23-12 in 37:09 together at 5-on-5, with one actual goal, zero against, and a 74.3 percent share of the expected goals via Natural Stat Trick. While you’d like to see more actual goals, the process was correct, as Knies, Matthews and Cowan were tilting the ice during their time together, and faced some poor shooting luck. It’s a group that Berube can go back to later this season, and can continue to see if it will have merit during the playoffs.

October is for experimenting, and it’s too early to grow frustrated with the process. Friday’s lineup may provide some options for Berube down the line, as the Maple Leafs look to find their identity. Through an uneven seven games, there’s one scoring line that is working for the Maple Leafs, and it’s a quick reminder that it may have been too early to give up on Knies-Matthews-Cowan.