National Post (National Edition)
Marner-Matthews pairing to stay put
Babcock finds line combination that keeps rolling
RALEIGH • Auston Matthews could get used to this thing about playing regularly with close pal Mitch Marner.
As Toronto Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock continues to try to find a winning combination among his forward lines, expect Matthews, Marner and Zach Hyman to be together again when the Leafs meet the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night.
“He’s really easy to play with,” Matthews said of Marner. “I feel like we know where each other is going to be, especially through the neutral zone. You get the puck to him and he’s always looking to get it back to you or vice versa. It works out well.”
Babcock would be foolish to break up the line. The three combined for 20 shot attempts in a 2-1 Leafs loss in a shootout to the Florida Panthers on Wednesday and Matthews tied an NHL career high with eight shots on goal.
At practice Thursday, Babcock kept Tyler Bozak between James van Riemsdyk and William Nylander, and stuck with Nazem Kadri between Leo Komarov and Nikita Soshnikov.
A new fourth line — which wouldn’t be slotted as such on many NHL clubs — featured Patrick Marleau between Josh Leivo and Connor Brown.
Matt Martin and Dominic Moore were the extra forwards.
“If it’s going really good, we don’t change,” Babcock said. “Matty was out for a while and we won a whole bunch of games (all four while Matthews was injured). Matty came back and we have moved him around because we haven’t got it going since.
“Marleau is playing way more centre on the road than he is at home. At home, I match him up each night. On the road, it gives me a deeper look so I can handle the matchups (presented by opposing coaches) better, so that’s part of it.”
Babcock, of course, wants Matthews and Marner to succeed together.
“Mitchy has been coming anyway and I thought he was skating (against Florida),” Babcock said. “We’re going to have to shoot the puck. He plays with those guys and does not like doing that, so we have to figure that out.”
CHANCES MISSED, LAMENTED
Defenceman Morgan Rielly acknowledged that failing to score on three terrific scoring chances in Florida gnawed at him into the day on Thursday.
Rielly hit iron twice and on another chance, on a pass from Matthews, was denied when Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo made a save with his left arm.
Had any of those chances become goals, the outcome might have been different.
“Oh yeah, it sticks with you,” Rielly said. “You want to score and you work on it all summer and stuff like that, and then you hit the post a couple of times.”
LOOSE LEAFS
Does Babcock enjoy coaching against buddy and Hurricanes coach Bill Peters, who worked under Babcock in Detroit? “I like coaching in the NHL,” Babcock said. “Do I like having a beer with Bill? Absolutely. Do I like winning every night? Absolutely. Does not much matter (who is the opposing coach).” … The Leafs were planning to have a team Thanksgiving dinner together at their hotel on Thursday, all the while keeping an eye on the NFL games. “Any time you’re with your teammates and watching football, it’s good for bonding,” Hyman said.