NHL Playoffs: The Leafs' projected lineup is revealed before Game 1

The Maple Leafs were in an unenviable position to finish the regular season; they were either going to have to play the Florida Panthers or the Boston Bruins in the first round. In the end, the Bruins slipped from first in the division to second, bringing about the Original Six matchup that has destroyed the hearts of Leafs fans for years.

William Nylander and Bobby McMann were not present for practice earlier today, and Keefe indicated that they are both "possibilities" for Game 1. Keefe was also advised by general manager Brad Treliving to keep injury updates at a minimum.

We might never know what Nylander is going through, but his season-ending slump is starting to make sense. In his first 69 games, he scored 39 goals and scored 93 points, before ending the regular season with just one goal and five points in his final 13 games, earning a minus-3 rating. He missed out on his first 100-point season and seemed disconnected for a whole month.

After missing the final two games of the season, Max Domi returned to practice and declared himself ready for Game 1. The incident was described as 'unknown,' but it was more of a preventative measure than anything else. On Friday, he joined Auston Matthews and Tyler Bertuzzi on the front row for practice.

He had a rough start to his Leafs tenure, but he came out swinging and built a strong rapport with Matthews, scoring 20 points in his final 25 games.

Mitch Marner will be separated from Matthews as he was seen skating alongside John Tavares and Matthew Knies because Domi returned to his spot on the first line. Calle Jarnkrok and Nick Robertson were centering by Pontus Holmberg, while David Kampf, Connor Dewar and Ryan Reaves rounded out the forward group. When asked about the decision to keep Matthews and Marner split, Keefe said that the decision was made a few weeks ago, indicating that perhaps they want to see each player carry their respective lines.

The Maple Leafs ran with 5 different pairings on the back-end, but it seems increasingly likely that Mark Giordano and T.J. Brodie will be sitting out the series opener. Morgan Rielly was paired with Ilya Lyubushkin, Simon Benoit remained with Jake McCabe, Joel Edmundson and Timothy Liljegren rounded out the top-6. The fourth pairing of Giordano and Brodie seemed to be a given, hinting at the unexpected choice.

When it comes to goalkeeping, mum is the word, as it usually is during the post-season. Domi quipped back when asked about Boston not revealing their starting goaltender, saying, "Did we reveal ours?" When a reporter responded, Domi closed quipped, "there ya go." Welcome to the playoffs, guys.

When it comes to Boston, it's slightly different because they have arguably the best tandem in the sport with Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark. The former posted a 25-10-8 record with a 2.53 G.A.A. and a.916 SV% while the latter supported him up with a 22-10-7 record, a 2.57 G.A.A., and a.915 SV The Maple Leafs, on the other hand, will continue to exist with Ilya Samsonov, barring any unforeseen alterations, but the spirit remains.

The team is counting on Nylander and McMann being prepared for tomorrow's game. They will have to rely heavily on their other core players in Matthews, Marner, and Tavares to keep the offense afloat if they both are sidelined.