<p>Including Saturday night&#8217;s game against the Los Angeles Kings, the <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/combinations">Toronto Maple Leafs</a> are in the final ten games of their schedule. One point separates the teams in the top of the Atlantic and there are very real stakes of facing either the the <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/relaxed-income-tax-law-tampa-bay-lightning-florida-panthers-nhl-trade-deadline-success">Panthers or Lightning</a> if the Leafs don&#8217;t grab the top spot or facing the Senators. Given that so far this year the Leafs haven&#8217;t beaten the Panthers or the Senators, finishing second and hoping the Lightning don&#8217;t grab the division title might be the best option, but it&#8217;s difficult to find optimism for the second round in that scenario either. In short, the Atlantic Division sucks.</p>
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<p>Here&#8217;s a few more thoughts on the final countdown of the regular season.</p>
<h2>What&#8217;s left in 2024-25</h2>
<p>The Leafs have an interesting schedule to say the least. They face the Ducks, which looks like a soft spot in the schedule, but it comes on the back half of a back-to-back. They face the Blue Jackets, but they have won both games against the Leafs this season. Really, only the game against the Sabres looks like an easy win and by pointing out here it has now become the trappiest trap game that ever trapped. Throw in two games against the Panthers, including one that is a part of a back-to-back that also includes the Lightning, games against other playoff bound teams like the Hurricanes, Canadiens, and Kings, the Leafs don&#8217;t really get to catch their breath until the final two games featuring the Sabres and Red Wings.</p>
<p>Following the trade deadline the Leafs were identified as a team having one of the easier remaining schedules, that has more or less been squandered with their 5-4-1 record since March 8th.</p>
<p>That pretty much leaves Toronto at the crossroads of deciding if they are going to start playing playoff hockey now, treat every game like a must-win playoff game and set a real goal of winning the Atlantic Division or do they commit to the remainder of the schedule being an opportunity to rest players, try new lines, or lock into what they want their April 19th lineup to look like.</p>
<p>The reality is both are going to happen. The Leafs want to win but playoff prep is going to matter a lot, which brings us to the next topic&#8230;</p>
<h2>The playoff prep to-do list (questions to answer)</h2>
<p>With ten games left time is limited on sorting out what needs to be done for Game One of the playoffs. There are still plenty of questions that need to be answered and arguably the right answer to many of them will be dependent on who the Leafs face in round one. The Panthers, Senators, and Lightning all represent very different challenges for the Leafs, and even the Lightning, who the Leafs have fared best against this season, are anything but an easy out.</p>
<p>Even if tailoring plans for a certain opponent aren&#8217;t on the table (yet) there are still some questions that need to be answered?</p>
<ol>
<li>Where is the fit for Max Domi?<br />
Domi has rediscovered <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/toronto-maple-leafs-max-domi-just-played-best-game-season">some offense lately</a> and given that is his primary function in the Leafs lineup, that&#8217;s a good thing. The issue of whether or not his defensive shortcomings cancel out his limited offensive upside needs to be considered at a time of the year when play is a lot tighter. There is also the matter of whether continuing with the idea of Domi playing centre is realistic heading into the playoffs even if he&#8217;s produced better in that role as of late.<br />
Moving Domi back onto wing and finding a way to shelter him seems to be the historical best answer here and finding a way to make Domi/Robertson/whomever a potential fourth line moving forward and sneaking Domi into a few more offensive zone start shifts on other lines seems like it makes sense but the Leafs haven&#8217;t been as keen on limiting Domi at any point so far. Perhaps the best solution is the Leafs keep on doing what they&#8217;ve been doing of late but manage ice time differently.</li>
<li>Can Laughton truly get going?<br />
Laughton had a goal <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/6-takeaways-toronto-maple-leafs-san-jose-sharks-last-minute-point-power-play-woes-woll-awful-blunder">against the Sharks</a> and wasn&#8217;t on for any of the Leafs five goals against in his 12:28 of ice time. That&#8217;s progress even if it was against the Sharks. What&#8217;s interesting is that despite playing with Nick Robertson and Max Domi for most of the game, Laughton&#8217;s goal came while playing with David Kampf.<br />
Given that Laughton hasn&#8217;t really made progress with Domi and there is some merit to a Lorentz-Kampf-Laughton line, it will be interesting to see what happens next with Laughton and if he&#8217;s gotten the monkey off his back. It will also be interesting to see what happens when Max Pacioretty is brought back into the fold, which brings us to&#8230;</li>
<li>Who are the odd players out in a healthy Leafs forward group?<br />
It seems unlikely that Craig Berube will show all his cards when it comes to his playoff roster and no one is going to face the Leafs Game One lineup. Even if load management doesn&#8217;t factor into the plans there will be enough minor injuries that the Leafs will give time to heal and the team will be strategic in its healthy scratches. The big question marks are probably where Pacioretty fits in and whether Holmberg should be brought back in (I&#8217;d argue yes). Players that are presently in the lineup like Max Domi, David Kampf, Nick Robertson, and Calle Jarnkrok all need to play like they want to stay in, but sneaking in some rest for Lorentz and McMann might also occur even if Toronto doesn&#8217;t want to mess with their big dogs.</li>
<li>Who plays with Oliver Ekman-Larsson?<br />
OEL has been a decline throughout the season and now frequently putting him with Simon Benoit doesn&#8217;t seem to be the answer. Ekman-Larsson was on the ice for all three of the Leafs 5v5 goals against in San Jose and had truly abysmal on-ice differentials. Exploring other partnerships over the next ten games makes a ton of sense but disrupting the top four seems like a non-starter. Myers hasn&#8217;t played much with Ekman-Larsson, and Hakanpaa&#8217;s health has prevented him from being an option in the past as well as likely in the future but testing out what Ekman-Larsson can do with any of Myers, Mermis, Rifai, or (insert name of Marlie here) makes sense because Benoit and OEL looks like a last resort.</li>
</ol>
<p>The final question deserves its own section so we&#8217;ll save that one for now, but things like effort level and performance of the Leafs top players aren&#8217;t going to be answered in the next 10 games. Adapting to a playoff hockey style of play not knowing who the Leafs opponent will be and what they need to do to counter them is premature. For the most part, this is about roster tweaks and at the very least the recent run of play should have the Leafs feeling comfortable with their decision to keep their best players on their top two lines.</p>
<h2>Load management and goaltending splits</h2>
<p>With 10 games left and back-to-backs occurring three times, it is a safe bet that we&#8217;ll at least see a 7/3 goaltending split. Given that the Leafs will want to have both goaltenders equally fresh and rested for what comes at them in the playoffs, it seems equally likely the Leafs will divide their goaltenders in the final two games, pretty much leaning towards a 6/4 split in the remaining games, without giving it much thought. Does getting worked up if one goaltender gets six starts instead of getting an even five games for both netminders make sense, not really?</p>
<p>Both goaltenders have left something to be desired in March, with Stolarz being consistently average while Woll was hot at the start of the month before giving up nine goals in his last two starts. Both need the work, both have made cases for being the Game One starter at times in the season, and both can benefit from rest.</p>
<p>Woll has done better against the Senators, decent against the Lightning and hasn&#8217;t faced the Panthers yet this year. Stolarz has been a disaster against the Panthers, brilliant in his one game against the Lightning, and solid against the Senators. It will likely come down to a combination of who has the hot hand and the better track record against the first round opponent that will drive Craig Berube&#8217;s decision there.</p>
<p>As for roster player load management, the question of who needs a night off is a fair one. In a year where Auston Matthews hasn&#8217;t been at 100%, looking at further recovery time definitely needs to be considered although the race for first in the Atlantic is the present priority.</p>
<p>The rest of the Leafs core forwards are probably all going to stay in the lineup and taking Marner out before he hits the 100-point mark would invite unnecessary controversy. Where the rest and recovery is probably needed the most is on the blueline and if Toronto can get Chris Tanev and Jake McCabe a few maintenance days to prepare for what will be a spring full of pain would benefit the club.</p>
<p>With the Maple Leafs current depth, using the roster reserves to their fullest extent even if not for load management purposes has its benefits. The lineup questions, the need for everyone being game ready depending on who works best against which opponent, and the chance to create competition for the limited spots make these last ten games meaningful.</p>
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Including Saturday night's game against the Los Angeles Kings, the <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/combinations">Toronto Maple Leafs</a> are in the final ten games of their schedule. One point separates the teams in the top of the Atlantic and there are very real stakes of facing either the the <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/relaxed-income-tax-law-tampa-bay-lightning-florida-panthers-nhl-trade-deadline-success">Panthers or Lightning</a> if the Leafs don't grab the top spot or facing the Senators. Given that so far this year the Leafs haven't beaten the Panthers or the Senators, finishing second and hoping the Lightning don't grab the division title might be the best option, but it's difficult to find optimism for the second round in that scenario either. In short, the Atlantic Division sucks.
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Here's a few more thoughts on the final countdown of the regular season.
<h2>What's left in 2024-25</h2>
The Leafs have an interesting schedule to say the least. They face the Ducks, which looks like a soft spot in the schedule, but it comes on the back half of a back-to-back. They face the Blue Jackets, but they have won both games against the Leafs this season. Really, only the game against the Sabres looks like an easy win and by pointing out here it has now become the trappiest trap game that ever trapped. Throw in two games against the Panthers, including one that is a part of a back-to-back that also includes the Lightning, games against other playoff bound teams like the Hurricanes, Canadiens, and Kings, the Leafs don't really get to catch their breath until the final two games featuring the Sabres and Red Wings.

Following the trade deadline the Leafs were identified as a team having one of the easier remaining schedules, that has more or less been squandered with their 5-4-1 record since March 8th.

That pretty much leaves Toronto at the crossroads of deciding if they are going to start playing playoff hockey now, treat every game like a must-win playoff game and set a real goal of winning the Atlantic Division or do they commit to the remainder of the schedule being an opportunity to rest players, try new lines, or lock into what they want their April 19th lineup to look like.

The reality is both are going to happen. The Leafs want to win but playoff prep is going to matter a lot, which brings us to the next topic...
<h2>The playoff prep to-do list (questions to answer)</h2>
With ten games left time is limited on sorting out what needs to be done for Game One of the playoffs. There are still plenty of questions that need to be answered and arguably the right answer to many of them will be dependent on who the Leafs face in round one. The Panthers, Senators, and Lightning all represent very different challenges for the Leafs, and even the Lightning, who the Leafs have fared best against this season, are anything but an easy out.

Even if tailoring plans for a certain opponent aren't on the table (yet) there are still some questions that need to be answered?
<ol>
 	<li>Where is the fit for Max Domi?
Domi has rediscovered <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/toronto-maple-leafs-max-domi-just-played-best-game-season">some offense lately</a> and given that is his primary function in the Leafs lineup, that's a good thing. The issue of whether or not his defensive shortcomings cancel out his limited offensive upside needs to be considered at a time of the year when play is a lot tighter. There is also the matter of whether continuing with the idea of Domi playing centre is realistic heading into the playoffs even if he's produced better in that role as of late.
Moving Domi back onto wing and finding a way to shelter him seems to be the historical best answer here and finding a way to make Domi/Robertson/whomever a potential fourth line moving forward and sneaking Domi into a few more offensive zone start shifts on other lines seems like it makes sense but the Leafs haven't been as keen on limiting Domi at any point so far. Perhaps the best solution is the Leafs keep on doing what they've been doing of late but manage ice time differently.</li>
 	<li>Can Laughton truly get going?
Laughton had a goal <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/6-takeaways-toronto-maple-leafs-san-jose-sharks-last-minute-point-power-play-woes-woll-awful-blunder">against the Sharks</a> and wasn't on for any of the Leafs five goals against in his 12:28 of ice time. That's progress even if it was against the Sharks. What's interesting is that despite playing with Nick Robertson and Max Domi for most of the game, Laughton's goal came while playing with David Kampf.
Given that Laughton hasn't really made progress with Domi and there is some merit to a Lorentz-Kampf-Laughton line, it will be interesting to see what happens next with Laughton and if he's gotten the monkey off his back. It will also be interesting to see what happens when Max Pacioretty is brought back into the fold, which brings us to...</li>
 	<li>Who are the odd players out in a healthy Leafs forward group?
It seems unlikely that Craig Berube will show all his cards when it comes to his playoff roster and no one is going to face the Leafs Game One lineup. Even if load management doesn't factor into the plans there will be enough minor injuries that the Leafs will give time to heal and the team will be strategic in its healthy scratches. The big question marks are probably where Pacioretty fits in and whether Holmberg should be brought back in (I'd argue yes). Players that are presently in the lineup like Max Domi, David Kampf, Nick Robertson, and Calle Jarnkrok all need to play like they want to stay in, but sneaking in some rest for Lorentz and McMann might also occur even if Toronto doesn't want to mess with their big dogs.</li>
 	<li>Who plays with Oliver Ekman-Larsson?
OEL has been a decline throughout the season and now frequently putting him with Simon Benoit doesn't seem to be the answer. Ekman-Larsson was on the ice for all three of the Leafs 5v5 goals against in San Jose and had truly abysmal on-ice differentials. Exploring other partnerships over the next ten games makes a ton of sense but disrupting the top four seems like a non-starter. Myers hasn't played much with Ekman-Larsson, and Hakanpaa's health has prevented him from being an option in the past as well as likely in the future but testing out what Ekman-Larsson can do with any of Myers, Mermis, Rifai, or (insert name of Marlie here) makes sense because Benoit and OEL looks like a last resort.</li>
</ol>
The final question deserves its own section so we'll save that one for now, but things like effort level and performance of the Leafs top players aren't going to be answered in the next 10 games. Adapting to a playoff hockey style of play not knowing who the Leafs opponent will be and what they need to do to counter them is premature. For the most part, this is about roster tweaks and at the very least the recent run of play should have the Leafs feeling comfortable with their decision to keep their best players on their top two lines.
<h2>Load management and goaltending splits</h2>
With 10 games left and back-to-backs occurring three times, it is a safe bet that we'll at least see a 7/3 goaltending split. Given that the Leafs will want to have both goaltenders equally fresh and rested for what comes at them in the playoffs, it seems equally likely the Leafs will divide their goaltenders in the final two games, pretty much leaning towards a 6/4 split in the remaining games, without giving it much thought. Does getting worked up if one goaltender gets six starts instead of getting an even five games for both netminders make sense, not really?

Both goaltenders have left something to be desired in March, with Stolarz being consistently average while Woll was hot at the start of the month before giving up nine goals in his last two starts. Both need the work, both have made cases for being the Game One starter at times in the season, and both can benefit from rest.

Woll has done better against the Senators, decent against the Lightning and hasn't faced the Panthers yet this year. Stolarz has been a disaster against the Panthers, brilliant in his one game against the Lightning, and solid against the Senators. It will likely come down to a combination of who has the hot hand and the better track record against the first round opponent that will drive Craig Berube's decision there.

As for roster player load management, the question of who needs a night off is a fair one. In a year where Auston Matthews hasn't been at 100%, looking at further recovery time definitely needs to be considered although the race for first in the Atlantic is the present priority.

The rest of the Leafs core forwards are probably all going to stay in the lineup and taking Marner out before he hits the 100-point mark would invite unnecessary controversy. Where the rest and recovery is probably needed the most is on the blueline and if Toronto can get Chris Tanev and Jake McCabe a few maintenance days to prepare for what will be a spring full of pain would benefit the club.

With the Maple Leafs current depth, using the roster reserves to their fullest extent even if not for load management purposes has its benefits. The lineup questions, the need for everyone being game ready depending on who works best against which opponent, and the chance to create competition for the limited spots make these last ten games meaningful.
<h3>Sponsored by bet365</h3>
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