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Some secretive NHL coaches would never reveal their lineups, even under pain of third-degree interrogation.

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But Monday’s will be a mystery, even to Sheldon Keefe, right up until the unfamiliar noon puck drop in St. Louis for a Presidents’ Day tilt against the Blues.

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Four Leafs who weren’t at Sunday’s practice – defencemen Timothy Liljegren, Jake McCabe, William Lagesson and centre Max Domi – are hurting in some manner according to the coach. The team called up blueliner Marshall Rifai from the Toronto Marlies for what could be his NHL debut, having already activated Max Lajoie earlier in the week when Morgan Rielly was suspended and Mark Giordano’s father died suddenly on Thursday.

Lagesson is still being assessed for an upper body injury early in Saturday’s 9-2 romp over Anaheim, though Keefe says there’s some improvement with him. Connor Timmins (mononucleosis) is getting better, but not ready to be cleared for practice.

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Centre John Tavares, who missed Saturday with an undisclosed issue, is also questionable, though looked and felt fine after getting back on the ice Sunday.

“He, along with a host of others will be a game-time decision,” Keefe said before the team headed to Pearson for what will be a week-long trip with other matches in Vegas, Arizona and Colorado. “Especially it being 12 o’clock and less time to sort through things like you normally would on game day.

“Quite honestly, I don’t have any real sense what our lineup will look like tomorrow.”

But there was no sense of dread in the dressing room, given how the patchwork playbook has unfolded, three straight wins at home, each with a hat trick, two by Auston Matthews and limited shots against.

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“A really good week for us and a lot of good things to that,” captain Tavares said. “The way guys have really thrived with opportunity, our top guys continuing what they do, Auston on another historical pace (48 goals in 52 games) and continues to elevate.

“Throughout our lineup, the team game continues to come along and earn the results.”

Without all three blueliners, who are also the top power play patrolmen, practice ended with a five-forward unit, utilizing Mitch Marner at the back. Marner was also used there for a few shifts at 5-on-5 on Saturday. Tyler Bertuzzi, who ended a horrendous slump with a goal in that game joined Matthews, Tavares and William Nylander.

Tavares wasn’t sure if assistant coach Guy Boucher was just experimenting, but Keefe left the door open to trying the five on Monday.

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“We’ve talked about it daily and it remains an option for us. We didn’t have Liljegren today, but we like it, it’s intriguing and an option to manage the minutes of the defenders.”

There was also the chance Rielly would win his appeal of a five-game suspension that’s currently being mulled by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman or get at least one reduced. He’s served three to date and is eligible to return Thursday in Vegas. Bettman usually doesn’t grant major clemency when he takes a few days to consider the appeal, but Rielly is a first-time offender and the unforeseen loss of Giordano this week makes Toronto’s personnel problems more acute.

Rielly skated Sunday, with the whole workout designed to serve as a morning skate for Monday’s game in its unusual time slot.

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Rifai, was called up on an emergency basis, having signed a two-year, two-way deal with new GM Brad Treliving after coming out of Harvard University and playing 2022-23 with the Marlies.

He’s showed some offensive potential in the AHL, but is more noted for his six-foot frame and 170 penalty minutes. That might be valued ahead of more skilled prospects such as draft pick Mikko Kokkonen, considering the four road games include some decidedly physical opposition.

“He’s got some NHL attributes,” Keefe said of Rifai. “He skates really well and closes space. We liked his time here at training camp and happy with his development with the Marlies as he’s settled in.”

Ilya Samsonov is projected to start in net, with St. Louis native Joseph Woll on the trip as his long recovery from a high ankle sprain nears an end. But it isn’t complete enough to bump Martin Jones as backup.

lhornby@postmedia.com

X: @sunhornby

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