Toronto Maple Leafs: Scoreboard Watching (January Edition)

What a week. After five straight wins, the Toronto Maple Leafs are right in the thick of things heading into the new year.

As the Toronto Maple Leafs continue to win games, the gap between the non-playoff teams and the wild card is closing, yet it seems more realistic at this point to catch a top three position in the Atlantic. With that said, there is still a lot of hockey to be played.

Here is who to watch in the Atlantic Division on the Leafs road to the playoffs.

Ottawa Senators
Record: 20-13-4
Point Total: 44 (37 games)
Goal Differential:-4
5v5 Corsi For%: 47.9 (25th)
5v5 Team Shooting %: 7.34 (18th)
5v5 Team Save %: 92.55 (13th)
Powerplay%: 16.0 (22nd)
Penalty Kill%: 82.5 (13th)

The Sens have easily been the biggest surprise in the Atlantic for the first half of the season. Nothing quite stands out about them except one thing, this team has flat-out found ways to win hockey games. The Sens have balanced production coming from their top three lines and have converted on limited scoring opportunities.

In addition, Erik Karlsson is continuing to be the straw that stirs the pot in the Nation’s Capital. At the end of the day, this is the team the Leafs have to chase if they hope to finish in the top three in the Atlantic. The Anderson/Condon duo has kept the Sens afloat, but something has got to give sooner or later.

Boston Bruins: 
Record: 20-15-4
Point Total: 40
Goal Differential:-3
5v5 Corsi For%: 55.1 (1st) 
5v5 Team Shooting %: 6.21 (27th)
5v5 Team Save %: 92.13 (19th)
Powerplay%: 14.3 (25th) 
Penalty Kill%: 87.0 (3rd)

The Bruins have been a pretty unlucky team to start the season. The puck just doesn’t seem to want to go in the net if you are a Bruin, unless you are their 20 year old phenom named David Pastrňák. The Bruins’ puck luck should change as the season goes along allowing them to securely finish second in the Atlantic.

If the Leafs do finish 3rd in this division, Kadri, Bozak, JVR, Gardiner, and Komorov will have a new crew headed to the Garden looking for revenge. A 2013 first round matchup would make any Leafs fan salivate.

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Florida Panthers: 
Record: 16-14-8
Point Total: 40
Goal Differential: -12
5v5 Corsi For%: 52.0 (7th)
5v5 Team Shooting %: 5.93 (30th)
5v5 Team Save %: 92.37 (15th)
Powerplay%: 16.1 (21st)
Penalty Kill%: 84.2 (7th)

The Panthers just cannot catch a break this season. In addition to a plethora of injuries to start the season, Alesander Barkov left the game last night with a lower body injury but the severity of the injury is still unknown.

If Barkov misses an extended period of time, the Panthers will surely suffer. Similarly to the Bruins, the Panthers have had some bad puck luck as they also outplay most of their opponents without reaping the benefits. When completely healthy, the Panthers are a playoff team.

Tampa Bay Lightning: 
Record: 19-15-4
Point Total: 42
Goal Differential: +4
5v5 Corsi For%: 50.1 (15th)
5v5 Team Shooting %:  7.68 (12th)
5v5 Team Save %: 92.14 (18th)
Powerplay%: 23.5 (3rd)
Penalty Kill%: 79.8 (23rd)

Another serious contender in the Atlantic Division is the Tampa Bay Lightning. Although they have taken a step back due to injuries this season, they are still a threat. Notably, the amount of shots they take has dipped largely. This year they rank 21st in shooting attempts per 60 with 52.7, whereas they have been a top 10 team in this category the past few seasons.

Even with the lowered amount of shots taken, the Lightning are still a strong defensive team, showing a positive shot attempt differential (5v5 CF%). If the Lightning can start shooting the puck more, they could give the Leafs a few headaches down the stretch.

Toronto Maple Leafs
Record: 17-12-7
Point Total: 41
Goal Differential: +5
5v5 Corsi For%: 50.4 (13th)
5v5 Team Shooting %:  7.97 (9th)
5v5 Team Save %: 92.23 (17th)
Powerplay%: 19.6 (12th)
Penalty Kill%: 85.2 (6th)

If the Leafs continue to win games, not only will they be competing in the Atlantic, but they will close the wild card gap. Andersen has been phenomenal after a rocky start and he should continue to improve as Babcock fixes defensive inconsistencies.

Verdict

In conclusion the division is wide open. Unless there is another Montreal collapse, the final two playoff spots will be competed for by five teams. The Leafs are only getting better and have every right to be in this conversation. Expectations are low during this year in limbo but in my opinion, any playoff experience for this young group is a huge positive.

What do you think of the Leafs thus far? Will they make the playoffs? Who will drop in the Atlantic?

Next: Forward Combinations and Possession

Quick Hits:

• Matthews now leads the league in even strength shots and is second to only Sidney Crosby in even strength goals.
• Leafs are 6-2-2 in their last ten.
• Leafs are 1-5 in the shootout.
• Jake Gardiner has 11 points in the last 13 games.
• Zach Hyman now has 14 even strength points, putting him 5th on the team. Hyman has more even strength points than Ryan Getzlaf, Shea Weber, Claude Giroux, Tyler Johnson, Anze Kopitar and Joe Thornton.
• Brendan Leipsic and Kasperi Kapanen lead the Marlies with 29 and 27 points respectively. Both are producing at at least a point per game.
• Colin Greening (10 points in 27 games), Brooks Laich (6 points in 16 games) and Milan Michalek (5 points in 14 games) are struggling with the Marlies. Safe to say, the Leafs will be happy to have them walk in the off season.

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