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Going into their Game 6 matchup against the Ottawa Senators, the Toronto Maple Leafs are looking to make changes to their top six, according to The Athletic's Chris Johnston.
“Based on line rushes at morning skate, it looks like Max Pacioretty is being bumped up to play alongside John Tavares and William Nylander,” Johnston wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Pacioretty will now be on the second line against the Senators, and it seems like Pontus Holmberg will slide down to the fourth line between Max Domi and Bobby McMann. Before his injury, Pacioretty played with Tavares and Nylander, and then entered Game 3 of the playoffs with a few healthy scratches. With him averaging around 12:33 of ice time now, he hasn't recorded a point yet.
Holmberg is the same, as he's failed to score despite starting in all of the gams as the second-line winger.
The Maple Leafs were up 3-0 against the Senators, but have lost the last two games and are hoping to close them out in Game 6. Craig Berube was asked about the mentality of the team going into the game, and he kept it as simple as possible.
“Business-like, let's go. We're ready to go. Business. Let's go,” Berube said.
Many fans are scared of what the Maple Leafs could do in a situation like this, as they've seen the same thing happen over the past few seasons. The team has collapsed in the first round in five of the last six seasons and is 1-13 in their last 14 elimination games. Berube was able to win two Game 7s in 2019 with the Stanley Cup-winning St Louis Blues.
Hopefully, the Maple Leafs can get the job done and Game 6 and not put any more pressure on themselves to seal the deal. The new lineup should make things smoother for them, and it should give them some momentum going into Game 6.
