Maple Leafs Reveal Early Look at Penalty Kill Under New Assistant Coach

Apr 20, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews (34) congratulates forward Matthew Knies (23) on his goal against the Ottawa Senators during the third period of game one of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

With the hiring of Derek Lalonde this offseason, the Toronto Maple Leafs have a new penalty kill coach, and he’s already trying some very interesting combinations.

Lambert is no stranger to being behind an NHL bench and with a team like Seattle who needs some guidance from a trusted and beloved coach, it was a great fit for both sides.

Maple Leafs New Assistant Already Making Waves On PK

It’s the latter that’s drawing a lot of attention because on Sunday he drew up the new PK units and it’s loaded up front:

Knies – Matthews
Joshua – Roy
Lorentz – Laughton
McMann – Nylander

McCabe – Tanev
Ekman-Larsson – Carlo

Why Toronto Can Improve Their Penalty Kill With New Groupings

The first unit has both Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies which not only will bring a lot of defensive acumen and a bruising and relentless approach, but could lend itself to a ton of shorthanded chances.

Matthews is a Selke candidate no doubt, and with Berube emphasizing his defence last season, it’s no surprise to see him on the first unit.

The second one is also a frightening duo to play against, as both Dakota Joshua and Nic Roy are gigantic, bruising forwards who won’t allow opponents an inch of breathing room and are going to create a ton of frustration.

It’s interesting however to see both McMann and Nylander working together on the PK because while both are decent defensively, they aren’t typically who you think of when you think ‘penalty killer’.

These new groups will hopefully be able to bring Toronto up from 17th in the NHL to somewhere a bit more manageable or even fight for a Top-10 performance.

While we still need to take a look at this new penalty killing collective and see how things play out, it seems Lalonde isn’t shy about utilizing every asset he can this season.

Previously on HockeyPatrol

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Maple Leafs Reveal Early Look at Penalty Kill Under New Assistant Coach

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