Leafs coach Berube tweaks forwards for Game 6; Matthews and Marner remain together

Joshua Clipperton · The Canadian Press

· Posted: May 16, 2025 1:12 PM EDT | Last Updated: 6 minutes ago

Craig Berube is going backmost for the future.

The Maple Leafs caput manager volition formal forwards Calle Jarnkrok and Pontus Holmberg for Game 6 of their second-round playoff bid against the Florida Panthers with Toronto facing elimination down 3-2 connected Friday.

Jarnkrok and Holmberg took a spot successful Game 5 for Nick Robertson and David Kampf successful the Leafs' disastrous 6-1 nonaccomplishment Wednesday that pushed them to the brink of elimination.

Berube volition besides support prima forwards Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner unneurotic connected Toronto's apical enactment contempt the duo's violative struggles against tight-checking Florida. Matthews has yet to people successful the series, portion Marner bagged the victor successful Game 2 arsenic the Leafs built a 2-0 pb that has since evaporated with 3 consecutive losses.

Panthers guardant Evan Rodrigues volition miss a 2nd consecutive contention for the defending Stanley Cup champions aft taking a large deed from Leafs defenceman Oliver-Ekman-Larsson, which resulted successful an interference penalty, successful Game 4.

Game 7, if necessary, would beryllium backmost successful Toronto connected Sunday.

WATCH | Can Leafs stave disconnected elimination:

"I liked our crippled with the different guys successful the lineup," Berube said of making 2 changes to his bottom-6 guardant group. "Other guys are rested, acceptable to go. We played bully hockey with that lineup we person (for Game 6)."

The 2019 Cup victor with the St. Louis Blues said helium contemplated splitting Matthews and Marner for Friday's must-win showdown, but decided against a drastic alteration with his team's play connected the enactment for the archetypal time.

"It's ever a consideration," Berube said. "I've divided them up this twelvemonth astatine times, and I ne'er felt that it truly did anything, to beryllium honest. These guys person been a combo for a agelong time. They've had a batch of success, truthful I spot them.

"I spot successful them. I judge successful them."

The Panthers person got extent scoring successful the series, portion the Leafs person struggled to make offence crossed the committee with conscionable connected extremity dating backmost to the 3rd play of Game 3.

Five of Toronto's bottom-6 forwards acceptable to formal Friday — Jarnkrok, Holmberg, Bobby McMann, Steven Lorentz and Scott Laughton — person combined for zero goals successful the playoffs.

Max Domi, meanwhile, scored doubly successful the archetypal circular against the Ottawa Senators successful the Leafs' six-game victory. Robertson registered the team's consolation extremity precocious successful Game 5 against Florida.

"We bash request them to spot in," Berube said of his supporting cast. "It's not similar they're not trying to score. They've conscionable got to support doing what they're doing and spot what happens with goals.

"But we bash request contributions from everybody."