Maple Leafs Lineup Set for Game 1 vs Panthers

The Toronto Maple Leafs will once again make lineup changes as the team prepares for Game 1 of the second round against the Florida Panthers. Head coach Sheldon Keefe has never been shy to make adjustments and it appears the changes continue as the team won't be going with 11 forwards and seven defensemen like we saw in Game 6 vs. Tampa Bay.

Instead, Keefe has gone back to the traditional 12 forwards and six defensemen look with defenseman Erik Gustavsson being taken out from last game and Zach Aston-Reese will once again be inserted on the team's fourth line to bang and crash.

Defenseman Timothy Liljegren will play his second game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs as Justin Holl will once again sit. Holl has been historically bad during the early stages of the postseason and has completely lost his confidence on the ice.

This is how the Maple Leafs will start the game, but expect to see lots of changes throughout as Keefe likes to get the blender out early and often.

Leafs’ projected lineup in Game 1:

Knies — Matthews — Nylander
Järnkrok — Tavares — Marner
Bunting — O’Reilly — Acciari
Aston-Reese — Kämpf — Kerfoot

McCabe — Brodie
Rielly — Schenn
Giordano — Liljegren

Samsonov
— Jonas Siegel (@jonassiegel) May 2, 2023