Jim Hiller is going back to Sergei Bobrovsky tonight in Vegas, with the veteran goaltender still searching for his first win of the season.
The Maple Leafs open a road trip after playing all four of their games at home, where they went 2-2-0.
Bobrovsky sits at 0-2 with an .887 save percentage. Anthony Stolarz, meanwhile, owns both of Toronto's wins.
Riding the hot hand was the easy call, and the Leafs coach passed on it. That's a gamble Toronto didn't need to take in its first road game.
It's the hockey version of a guy at a Vegas blackjack table doubling down after two losing hands. The house tends to love that guy.
And Vegas is no soft landing spot. The home side has scored 17 goals already, with Jack Eichel piling up 10 points.
Tomas Hertl has 3 power-play goals for Vegas, so Toronto's penalty kill can't afford to hand out extra chances.
-
-
The Leafs just made a major last-minute change involving Gavin McKenna
The goalie decision wasn't Hiller's only adjustment. The forward lines got shuffled too, and the 18-year-old is the name everyone will watch.
Gavin McKenna is slated to skate with Paul and Sissons, the third trio on the projected sheet heading into tonight's puck drop.
What exactly is a teenager supposed to create alongside two linemates with 2 points between them? Paul also brings a -4 rating into this one.
The kid has a goal and an assist so far, along with a -2 rating of his own.
Easton Cowan joins John Tavares and William Nylander instead, a spot he's done plenty to earn.
The 21-year-old has a power-play goal and a game-winner already, all on a $900,000 deal.
Nylander leads Toronto with 6 points, so the job on that line is simple. Get him the puck and get out of the way.
Up top, Auston Matthews centers Kirill Marchenko and Jack Roslovic. His $13,250,000 cap hit has produced 5 points so far.
On the blue line, Morgan Rielly pairs with Darren Raddysh, who's sitting at a -3 rating on an $8,500,000 cap hit.
The Vegas roster also features Mitch Marner, who has 2 points through four games.
After tonight, the Leafs head to Colorado on Saturday and Utah on Tuesday before returning home.
Three games in six days will tell Hiller whether these tweaks stick. One bad night in the desert, and the whiteboard comes back out before Colorado.
Should Jim Hiller have stuck with Anthony Stolarz instead of Sergei Bobrovsky?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Detroit Red Wings announce official two-player move in the midst of Dylan Larkin's trade request
