Jim Hiller is still keeping Auston Matthews and William Nylander apart to start games, even after the Maple Leafs blew a 3-0 lead in Vegas.
"We know what they can do together," Hiller said. "They've played a lot. When I was here, they played together all the time, so we always know that's a go-to."
The goal is chemistry elsewhere. "We want to try to find some more chemistry with some other guys. If those things don't work, then we'll probably lean more on that."
Friday's practice lines showed the plan. Matthews skated between Kirill Marchenko and Jack Roslovic, while Nylander lined up with Easton Cowan and Nick Paul.
Paul stepped into the second-line centre spot because John Tavares left the road trip for the birth of his son, Tucker. Hiller joked the 10-pounder is a "power forward on the way."
Gavin McKenna moved to a line with Colton Sissons and Bo Groulx. The defence pairs got shuffled too, with Jake McCabe and Darren Raddysh together on top.
Jim Hiller's line blender meets a tough test in Colorado
Hiller admitted he changes lines often. "In my history, we played a lot of 11 and 7. I've historically been somebody who maybe changes the lines quite a bit."
The Vegas game is why the tinkering matters. Toronto led 3-0, took penalties after a goal against, and lost 4-3 in a shootout.
"It just really disrupts everything," Hiller said. "We never really recovered until we got back out in the third."
The Leafs are 2-2-1, and Anthony Stolarz gets the start in Colorado while Sergei Bobrovsky rests. Stolarz sits at a .904 save percentage.
Experimenting in October is fine, but the clock is ticking. Points banked now count just as much in April, and if the new combinations keep leaking leads, Hiller should reunite his two stars fast.
It's like rearranging the living room to find the best layout. Fun for a week, but eventually somebody needs a place to sit.
Nathan MacKinnon's Avalanche are the opponent Saturday. Hiller called them "a really dynamic rush team," and the Leafs can't afford another blown lead.
Matthews and Nylander together is Hiller's safety net. The question is how many points he's willing to risk before he reaches for it.
Should Jim Hiller put Matthews and Nylander back together now?
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