<p>At long last, it looks like the Toronto Maple Leafs may have found their third line.</p>
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<p>Ok, maybe that&#8217;s jumping the gun a bit after a pair of games against the lowly Buffalo Sabres and a narrow victory over the Dallas Stars. Nonetheless, it was the newly formed trio of Bobby McMann, Max Domi, and Nick Robertson that led the offensive charge for a third straight game against the Sabres on Friday.</p>
<p>Slow starts have been an issue lately, but the third line got on the board less than two minutes into the contest, and the Leafs never looked back. Robertson took a hit in the defensive zone but made the play to start an odd-man rush, with McMann finishing off a slick feed from Domi.</p>
<p>After an Auston Matthews power play marker gave the Leafs a 2-0 lead heading into the second period, Robertson skated onto a loose puck in the neutral zone and fired one home to extend the lead to 3-0. The Sabres made it 3-1 less than a minute later, but again, Toronto&#8217;s third line had a quick answer of their own.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">THERE GOES ROBBY!! <a href="https://t.co/c3vglhFPsL">pic.twitter.com/c3vglhFPsL</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) <a href="https://twitter.com/MapleLeafs/status/1870276360763265201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>Mitch Marner found a streaking McMann with a perfect stretch pass, and he managed to protect the puck and find a trailing Domi, who buried the Leafs&#8217; fourth goal of the night into the top of the net. With Domi&#8217;s tally, it was the second straight game in which all three members of the third line found the back of the net and the third consecutive game for both Domi and Robertson.</p>
<p>Secondary scoring has been a problem for Craig Berube&#8217;s squad all season, but his new third line was the driving force for a third straight game as the Leafs managed to hold on for a 6-3 win, handing the Sabres their 12th consecutive loss. In this new trio, Berube looks to have stumbled upon a source of offence beyond the top six, and perhaps a tonic for a couple of players who had struggled mightily prior to this union.</p>
<p>Domi clearly wasn&#8217;t right to begin this season, and he ended up missing eight games with whatever was ailing him, but even upon his return, he was mired in the longest pointless drought of his career. Robertson looked like he may have run out of chances to establish himself as a reliable option, and he was a healthy scratch for four games before getting back in against Buffalo last week. Even McMann, who had shown impressive flashes this season, was searching for consistency after missing time with an injury.</p>
<p>Be it desperation on their part, natural chemistry, some shooting luck regression, or a combination of the three, the early returns from the trio of McMann, Domi, and Robertson have been outstanding. In the three games since they&#8217;ve been put together, Domi has his first three goals of the season, Robertson has scored in three straight for the first time in his career, and the line has combined for 16 points.</p>
<p>Of course, it&#8217;s only been three games, and they&#8217;ll have to prove they can contribute on a consistent basis against stiffer competition, but if they can do just that, it could solidify the rest of Berube&#8217;s lineup.</p>
<p>The top line of Matthews, Marner, and Matthew Knies is a proven commodity that can handle any matchup thrown their way. The combination of John Tavares, Max Paciorietty, and William Nylander has shown chemistry in their limited time together this season, with Nylander on pace for a new career-high in goals and Tavares having one of his best years as a Leaf. The question has been whether they can find something that works as a third unit to help supplement and support their top six, and even though it&#8217;s too soon to make any grand conclusions, McMann, Domi, and Robertson have made their mark and led the offensive charge in three straight wins for the Leafs.</p>
<p><em>Statistics from NHL.com</em></p>
<p><strong>Sponsored by bet365</strong></p>
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At long last, it looks like the Toronto Maple Leafs may have found their third line.
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Ok, maybe that's jumping the gun a bit after a pair of games against the lowly Buffalo Sabres and a narrow victory over the Dallas Stars. Nonetheless, it was the newly formed trio of Bobby McMann, Max Domi, and Nick Robertson that led the offensive charge for a third straight game against the Sabres on Friday.

Slow starts have been an issue lately, but the third line got on the board less than two minutes into the contest, and the Leafs never looked back. Robertson took a hit in the defensive zone but made the play to start an odd-man rush, with McMann finishing off a slick feed from Domi.

After an Auston Matthews power play marker gave the Leafs a 2-0 lead heading into the second period, Robertson skated onto a loose puck in the neutral zone and fired one home to extend the lead to 3-0. The Sabres made it 3-1 less than a minute later, but again, Toronto's third line had a quick answer of their own.

https://twitter.com/MapleLeafs/status/1870276360763265201

Mitch Marner found a streaking McMann with a perfect stretch pass, and he managed to protect the puck and find a trailing Domi, who buried the Leafs' fourth goal of the night into the top of the net. With Domi's tally, it was the second straight game in which all three members of the third line found the back of the net and the third consecutive game for both Domi and Robertson.

Secondary scoring has been a problem for Craig Berube's squad all season, but his new third line was the driving force for a third straight game as the Leafs managed to hold on for a 6-3 win, handing the Sabres their 12th consecutive loss. In this new trio, Berube looks to have stumbled upon a source of offence beyond the top six, and perhaps a tonic for a couple of players who had struggled mightily prior to this union.

Domi clearly wasn't right to begin this season, and he ended up missing eight games with whatever was ailing him, but even upon his return, he was mired in the longest pointless drought of his career. Robertson looked like he may have run out of chances to establish himself as a reliable option, and he was a healthy scratch for four games before getting back in against Buffalo last week. Even McMann, who had shown impressive flashes this season, was searching for consistency after missing time with an injury.

Be it desperation on their part, natural chemistry, some shooting luck regression, or a combination of the three, the early returns from the trio of McMann, Domi, and Robertson have been outstanding. In the three games since they've been put together, Domi has his first three goals of the season, Robertson has scored in three straight for the first time in his career, and the line has combined for 16 points.

Of course, it's only been three games, and they'll have to prove they can contribute on a consistent basis against stiffer competition, but if they can do just that, it could solidify the rest of Berube's lineup.

The top line of Matthews, Marner, and Matthew Knies is a proven commodity that can handle any matchup thrown their way. The combination of John Tavares, Max Paciorietty, and William Nylander has shown chemistry in their limited time together this season, with Nylander on pace for a new career-high in goals and Tavares having one of his best years as a Leaf. The question has been whether they can find something that works as a third unit to help supplement and support their top six, and even though it's too soon to make any grand conclusions, McMann, Domi, and Robertson have made their mark and led the offensive charge in three straight wins for the Leafs.

<em>Statistics from NHL.com</em>

<strong>Sponsored by bet365</strong>
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