Leafs set their lines before facing former goaltender Frederik Andersen tonight.

It is very early in the season, but this could prove to be a pivotal game for the Toronto Maple Leafs in their 2021 - 2022 campaign.

The Leafs are set to take on the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday and I would not be surprised to learn that players on both sides of this matchup have had this date circled on their calendar since the National Hockey League schedule for this season was announced. That's because in taking on the Hurricanes the Maple Leafs will also be taking on their former goaltender in the form of Frederik Andersen.

Andersen was often the target of criticism during his tenure in Toronto but he has looked like arguably the best goaltender in the league thus far this season. Again it is very early on in the season, but through 4 games Andersen has a 1.75 goals against average and a .944 save percentage. It's also worth noting that he is a perfect 4 - 0 over that stretch, meaning that the Leafs will have the chance to hand him his first loss of the season.

Much like he did during Toronto's humiliating 7 - 1 loss at the hands of a decimated Pittsburgh Penguins lineup, it looks like head coach Sheldon Keefe will be shaking things up a little for this one. Both star forwards Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner have yet to record a goal this season, so it feels like splitting them up once again does make some sense.

Instead it will be Michael Bunting and William Nylander joining Matthews on the Leafs' top line for tonight's game, while Marner will skate alongside captain John Tavares and Alex Kerfoot on the team's second line. Here is a full breakdown of the Leafs 4 lines from today's pre-game skate:

Bunting-Matthews-Nylander
Kerfoot-Tavares-Marner
Engvall-Kampf-Kase
Ritchie-Spezza-Simmonds

And here are the defensive pairings:

Rielly-Brodie
Muzzin-Holl
Sandin-Dermott

As I stated earlier this feels like an important game and not only due to the fact that the Leafs are facing their former goalie. The team as a whole needs a bounce back after that horrible loss over the weekend, and Marner and Matthews very much need to find their game before the Leafs are forced to do something drastic.