Rookie forward Matthew Knies looked impressive against the Montreal Canadiens and picked up the first goal of the game on September 29, 2023, with a quick wrister. Leafs forward Calle Järnkrok was effective at times last year and could be on a PK forward unit with speedster Sam Lafferty, who scored four total shorties as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks and Leafs last year. Who are candidates for the Toronto Maple Leafs Second Unit? Those are the little things that add up to big wins. When on the PK, Matthews and Nylander can attend to the gritty, greasy details like shot blocking, chipping pucks out of the defensive zone and tight checking. Perhaps what the Leafs lack most come playoff time can be gained from giving the Leafs elite players a chance while there is a man in the box. Brodie and Jake McCabe, but look for Timothy Liljegren and Conor Timmins to push for more playing time on the PK. Keefe has stated in the past that he likes Matthews going on the ice full energy after the Leafs successfully eliminate the man advantage. Look for Keefe to stick with Marner and Kämpf as the first two over the boards when the Leafs commit an infraction. Odds are the head coach Sheldon Keefe will put Marner out there with third-line center David Kämpf, who he likes at the face-off circle (even if prowess at the dot is statistically a non-factor) and for his attention to defensive detail. The top PK-unit should again be anchored by the best all-around player on the Leafs, Mitch Marner. McDavid is aggressive while on the kill and blocks a ton of shots. This allows guys to stay fresher, but Keefe has shied away from using Matthews or Nylander in those roles, despite high-end talent like Connor McDavid getting the call for the Edmonton Oilers. Typically, teams employ three different combinations of penalty killing forwards that are rotated at 20-30 second intervals. Likewise for forward William Nylander, who has long been mentioned as a possibility when the Leafs are penalized. 34 may get some looks this coming season. The experiment did not last long, but there is buzz that No. In the 2022-23 pre-season, the Toronto Maple Leafs flirted with center Auston Matthews on the PK. Who will be on the Toronto Maple Leafs Top Penalty Kill Unit? Holl was somewhat of a PK savant, especially in the playoffs when he thwarted a few cross-ice one-timers from Steven Stamkos with his rear-end. Gone are PK mainstays in forwards Alexander Kerfoot, Ryan O’Reilly and Noel Acciari – plus defenseman Justin Holl and Luke Schenn – all of whom left the organization via free agency. The Leafs penalty killing unit, ranked 12th out of 32 teams last season, figures to get a tune-up with new assistant coach Mike Van Ryn overseeing what goes on under the hood with Dean Chynoweth, who was part of last year’s staff. It was ranked second – only trailing a historic Edmonton Oilers PP that clicked 32 percent of the time. ![]() The Toronto Maple Leafs power-play was again what kept the team on track. ![]() The Toronto Maple Leafs special teams added some diesel to the overall regular season success of a team that amassed 111 points, which was good for the fourth best record in 2022-23.
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