The Toronto Maple Leafs play the Colorado Avalanche tonight after defeating the Calgary Flames in a blowout on Monday night.
The win against Calgary stopped a streak of four losses in five games and the Toronto Maple Leafs are hoping that a breakout two-goal performance from the previously ice-cold Auston Matthews is a harbinger of things to come.
The Leafs are getting extremely strong goaltending, for the most part at least, this season, and as such, if Auston Matthews is scoring like he can there is no reason that they can't surprise everyone and go on a long playoff run.
That is one really good reason to believe in and/or care about this team. The fact is, the Leafs have never really been able to pair Auston Matthews with a top goalie and this year they have. I think this gets under-talked about and that it will ultimately end up being the only thing that really matters.
2 Reasons for optimism about the Toronto Maple Leafs + 1 Crazy Stat
A second reason to be optimistic about the Leafs is that they are due. I realize this is specious logic, but the Leafs have gotten extremely unlucky in the playoffs for years so it seems like they must be due. I'm not going to say they haven't made mistakes or that there aren't other factors at play, but the fact is that no other team has ever lost 11 straight games with the chance to eliminate an opponent before except for this version of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Therefore, if they can somehow lose 11 straight times when they have a chance to win, I think it's fair to expect a couple the pendulum to eventually swing the other way. An Auston Matthews who is scoring in almost every game paired with a top caliber goalie and some long overdue luck is a recipe for success.
Not one I'd necessarily bet on, but one that I find myself pondering quite a bit.
As for the "crazy stat" promised in the title, it is that Brandon Carlo leads the entire Toronto Maple Leafs team (of course it's a tiny sample size, but still...) in Expected Goals Percentage. Carlos started off rough in his first game or two, but has since really meshed well with Morgan Rielly. (stats naturalstattrick.com).
Carlo has a 56% expected goals percentage which seems to be mostly because the Leafs have picked up 14 high-danger chances while he's been on the ice vs allowing only seven.
Scott Laughton continues to struggle, but Carlo has been a near instant success.