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The rise and grind of Liljegren

Maple Leafs defenceman proving to be indispensable

STEVE SIMMONS POSTMEDIA NEWS

When Sheldon Keefe was putting his lineup together for the most important games of the Maple Leafs short playoff run last May, he didn't include Timothy Liljegren in five of the seven games against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Keefe made a statement without having to explain himself- he just didn't believe Liljegren was ready to compete at the highest level against the defending Stanley Cup champions. He didn't believe he could win the series with Liljegren on his defence.

Of all that has happened since in this rather impressive Maple Leafs season, from the shocking consistent brilliance of William Nylander, to the home dominance of goaltender Ilya Samsonov, from the Leafs ability to handle so many injuries on the blue-line, nothing has surpassed the giant steps young Liljegren has taken as an NHL defenceman.

It wasn't expected. It wasn't expected this soon. It wasn't truly considered. It has come from almost nowhere -but it has certainly changed the way in which the Leafs compete on a nightly basis.

When the season began, Keefe wasn't sure what he had in the 23-year-old defenceman. Liljegren wasn't an offensive defenceman. He wasn't a defensive defenceman. He wasn't a physical defenceman. He wasn't easily defined. He was a first-round pick lacking an identity. Keefe played him sparingly to start the season, in the 16-minutea-night range, protecting him, third pairing numbers in the NHL: the message from the coaching staff- we're not sure about you.

On Wednesday night against the top-heavy New York Rangers, Liljegren played almost 22 minutes. The previous five games he was in and around the 20-minute mark. That's the kind of ice time that a Stanley Cup-competing team -with a top-five record - rewards its best defencemen with.

And that's where Liljegren is today: one ofthe Leafs top defenceman. Jake Muzzin isn't likely coming back. T.J. Brodie has had a difficult year health-wise. Morgan Rielly hasn't played to his usual level and gets scored on too often.

What does a coach want from a defenceman?

More than anything, you want a player you can trust. You want a player who understands the game and thinks it well. Playing forward and succeeding at the highest level is all about instincts. Playing defence is so much about positioning, stick positioning, angles, thinking the game, gambling when necessary, not getting caught, and the ability in today's game to make a first pass out of the defensive zone.

You saw the new Liljegren -this season's version- on display Wednesday night against the Rangers. The third-period goal he scored to tie the game would not have happened a year ago. That goal wouldn't have been scored by most NHL defencemen.

He was at the point. Most defencemen stay at the point in the offensive zone. A year ago, he wouldn't have left the point. He saw the shot go to the net and he followed to the high slot. He got inside position on Chris Kreider, who probably figured it was Liljegren, so why bother checking him? Liljegren's quick shot scored with just over four minutes to play.

And when things are going your way, they are going your way. He happened to pass the puck to Mitch Marner in overtime, not a special pass of any kind, and Marner did the rest at 3-on-3 scoring one of the goals of his life. It was a highlight-reel goal. A bonus point for Liljegren. A twopoint night. The kind of bonuses you get when the game begins tilting in your favour.

What do coaches want from their defenceman?

They want players who don't get scored on. Play your 50 seconds, get off the ice, and stay out of trouble. Coaches love defencemen who stay out of trouble.

Liljegren has been scored upon 14 times at even strength this season. No one in the NHL, who has played 35 games or more, has numbers like that. Brandon Carlo of the first-place Boston Bruins has played five more games and has the same goals against number. Compare Liljegren to the rest of the Leafs.

Rielly and Justin Holl have been scored on 31 times. Mark Giordano, moving up in the lineup, has given up 26 goals. Rasmus Sandin, who seemed on a trajectory before the season to play higher in the lineup than Liljegren, has allowed 23 goals. Even the dependable Brodie, who has only played 28 games, has been on for 17 goals against.

Many NHL coaches have said it takes 200 games to know what kind of defenceman a young player is going to be. In the case ofwinnipeg'sjosh Morrissey, it has taken more than 400 games for him to look anything like a star. Liljegren played in Game 112 on Wednesday night. This is just the beginning for him.

He may never be the kind of offensive defenceman he hoped to be when the Leafs drafted him in the first round of 2017. He talked then about rushing the puck, and maybe being a little Victor Hedmanlike.

What he's developed into this season- and there's no way of knowing where his ceiling may be - is the kind of player every successful team needs. Assistant coach Dean Chynoweth has done terrific work with the entire defence but even more so with Liljegren's development.

In less than a season, Liljegren has gone from healthy scratch to indispensable. The rise and grind of Timothy Lilegren has helped bring the Leafs to another level this season.

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2023-01-28T08:00:00.0000000Z

2023-01-28T08:00:00.0000000Z

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