Toronto Maple Leafs forwards David Kampf and Nick Robertson will enter the lineup for Game 5 against the Florida Panthers. Kampf and Robertson were on the ice for warmups, and will be replacing Calle Jarnkrok and Pontus Holmberg in the lineup.
Kampf hasn’t played in a playoff game this year, while Robertson has been out of the lineup for the past eight games, after being replaced by Max Pacioretty for Game 3 of the team’s first-round series against the Florida Panthers.
Jarnkrok and Holmberg were two of five Leafs forwards without a goal in the series through the playoffs. Robertson will likely form a line with Bobby McMann and Max Domi, while Jarnkrok and Holmberg could Steven Lorentz on the Leafs’ fourth line.
Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube indicated there would be game-time decisions during his morning media availability Wednesday, but did not reveal who would be coming out of the lineup. Berube said the changes were coach’s decisions, as opposed to injury-related decisions.
“Game-time decisions. We’ve got decisions. It was an optional skate this morning and we have some decisions to make,” Berube said Wednesday morning.
Kampf provides a defensively-responsible presence to the lineup with minimal offensive impact, after notching five goals and 13 points in 59 regular season games. Robertson packs more of a scoring punch and registered an assist in two playoff games, before replaced by Pacioretty.
It’s clear that the Leafs are looking for some tactical changes, after getting badly out-chanced and outshot in a 2-0 loss to the Panthers in Game 4. During the most important game of the Leafs’ season, Berube has responded to the pressure enveloping the team, while squaring off against a Panthers side that is determinately cool and calm on the other end of the hall.
Evan Rodrigues is coming out of the lineup for the Panthers, and will be replaced by Jesper Boqvist, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice confirmed Wednesday afternoon.
