Rielly left in Babcock’s plans on Leafs blue-line
Mike Babcock won’t make changes to his changes.
At least not on Thursday night, when the Toronto Maple Leafs visit the Vegas Golden Knights, and for a simple reason.
When Babcock put defenceman Morgan Rielly back on the left side with Ron Hainsey during the Leafs’ game in Denver on Tuesday — and they went on to beat the Colorado Avalanche — the Toronto coach was glad to have his No. 1 defenceman in the spot that the 24-year-old Rielly has excelled.
During practice on Wednesday at T-Mobile Arena, Rielly remained with Hainsey, Jake Muzzin skated alongside Nikita Zaitsev, and Travis Dermott was on the right side with Jake Gardiner.
What did Babcock see in his defence pairs in the win against the Avs to keep them together?
“I saw Morgan Rielly on the left side,” Babcock said, seeing no need to elaborate.
Rielly certainly was onside with Babcock’s decision to leave him with Hainsey. Whether that remains in place for the duration of the regular season isn’t concrete, but it’s likely that Babcock keeps Rielly with Hainsey as he figures out what works best with the other four.
Does Rielly feel relief in being back in his, no pun intended, rightful spot?
“That’s where you are most comfortable, it’s where you want to be,” Rielly said of playing on the left. “That being said, we have a group that we are willing to move around if we have to, to make everyone more comfortable.
“I think I speak for most defencemen that you are more comfortable on your natural side and that’s just the way it is.”
True, but for Rielly, there was not a discernible drop-off in his play during the six-plus games he was paired with Muzzin.
I think I speak for most defencemen that you are more comfortable on your natural side.
The Leafs have gone 5-1-1 in the seven games Muzzin has played since being acquired from the Los Angeles Kings, during which Rielly had five points.
To assert there is more depth with Muzzin would be a bit of an understatement.
What’s more, the presence of Muzzin allows Babcock to move the pieces around as he tries to find what works best, and not worry that there may be a decline in the play of the defensive group as a whole while new looks are being explored.
“We’re way deeper through six,” Babcock said of the impact of Muzzin through seven games. “So you’re not as paranoid about who is on the ice and when they are out there.”
Said Muzzin: “It’s an advantage for us to be so flexible back there. There are options and if (Babcock) wants a certain matchup with a pair he can do that, and the other two pairs are solid still.”
It’s the left-handed Dermott who is now being asked to play out of his natural position. One thing we’ve come to learn about Dermott in his season-plus with the Leafs is that little gets him rattled, and he is willing to adapt if Babcock thinks it’s the best way to go.
“Honestly, I don’t hate the right side,” Dermott said. “There are a bunch of different options to come in your arsenal. You have to think the game a little differently, but I don’t hate it.
“Knock on wood, injuries happen, a whole bunch of stuff can happen where you end up playing with different guys throughout the game. Anything can happen where you can be mixed up.”
As Babcock said after the victory in Denver, the Leafs defence is a work in progress, and it’s possible further changes could be made.
Having said that, we don’t expect to see Rielly on the right side again. Babcock hinted he was not overly enamoured with that plan in the long run when Muzzin came aboard.
Rielly, in the midst of a fine season that has put him in the Norris Trophy conversation, was thrilled, as were the rest of the Leafs, when the club acquired Muzzin on Jan. 28.
The way Rielly sees it, either way he’s in a good spot, whether he is partnered with Muzzin or Hainsey.
“If we play brutal, they are probably going to switch it and I think if all goes well, we will probably keep it,” Rielly said, a bit tongue-in-cheek.
“I love playing with Ronnie. He is a leader, we have a good relationship and we talk a lot. He is one of those guys you can really rely on.”