The California “Death Valley” road trip wasn’t particularly kind to the Toronto Maple Leafs. It never is.
Going 1-3 over the Toronto Maple Leafs last four games, with the lone win coming against Anaheim’s ECHL team, is far from a preferred outcome. This was a shocking result coming from a team who, mere weeks ago, made Steve Mason look like a slice of swiss cheese.
Naturally, widespread panic in Toronto has since ensued. The National Guard has been called in. Strict curfews are being enforced across the GTA. And, most alarmingly, a state of emergency has been declared resulting from reports that Auston Matthews will be a game-time decision for tonight’s game.
Auston Matthews just left the #leafs skate early.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) November 6, 2017
Now, before you burn the city to the ground panic, hear me out. Despite their recent struggles, The Leafs are far from finished. Just let me prove it to you.
Still Hanging On
Want to hear some good news? Only 2 teams in the Atlantic Division sport a winning record. And the Leafs happen to be one of them.
It’s not ideal, but sitting at 8-7-0 just 15 games in isn’t really that bad. I mean, at least we haven’t padded our point total with pity. We’re not Ottawa.
If there was ever a time for this team to slump, I’d much rather it be in November opposed to late April. Now, with the most grueling road trip of the season mercifully finished, the Leafs now find themselves in a prime position to get their groove back. One fleeting glance at their upcoming schedule is enough to see why.
Here are the Leafs' next ten games. What's a reasonable record to expect over this span? pic.twitter.com/uU59fV70YY
— L69fs PR (@L69fs) November 5, 2017
I’m not kidding when I say that there is nothing to stop the Leafs from going 10-0 down that stretch. From now until November 25th, every single opponent they are set to face is beatable.
Every. Single. One.
Let’s break them down.
First Leg
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The Leafs kick this stretch off tonight versus Vegas, a team boasting a goaltending duo of both rookie Maxime Legace and your balding uncle who constantly swears he could have gone pro if Coach had put just him in against State in ’82.
What sport is he talking about? We’ll never know.
Next up is a home date with The Wild. Funnily enough, it seems as if The Wild’s yearly tradition of sucking in the playoffs has begun seeping into the regular season this year. Remember when Leafs fans were praying for a Matt Dumba trade? Oh, memories.
Juicy Matchups
The Leafs then undergo a home-and-home series with Boston. Luckily, The Bruins’ blueline is made up of Zdeno Chara, two bowls of clam “chowdah” and three freshly boiled lobsters. The only real threat that team poses is heart disease.
Once the “Beantown Beatdown” wraps up, The Devils visit Toronto next. It’ll be interesting to see just how New Jersey responds to playing in a city where the primary export isn’t Chris Christie’s twinkie wrappers.
Also, they happen to be fresh off a defeat at the hands of the delightfully terrible Oilers. As the timeless saying goes: if a team with Kris Russell in their top-4 can beat you, anyone can beat you.
Wrapping it Up
Rounding out the Leafs slate are bouts with each of Montreal, Arizona, Florida, Carolina, and Washington. Those games are going to be fun. Unleashing Matthews and William Nylander upon the goaltending talents of a toothless Carey Price, a freshly waived Anti Niemi, and a soon-to-be-waived Anti Raanta should be illegal.
And as for the Capitals, the Leafs have already managed to shut them out this year, so forgive me if I’m less than terrified. Couple that with facing the thoroughly disappointing Hurricanes, who instead look more like gentle Autumn breezes to me, and you’re left with 10 extremely winnable games.
Relax
On the eve of this season, I wrote a piece detailing methods for handling this team’s upcoming success. One particular point I put forth outlined that peaks and valleys occur every year, regardless of which team you cheer for. Thankfully, the Leafs seem to have hit their valley early, while still managing to emerge with a winning record.
Yes, their defence has been atrocious. Yes, both Freddie Andersen and especially Curtis McElhinney have been subpar in net. But, do you really expect that to continue? (Ok, maybe with McElhinney I do)
Yet, like Bruce Wayne in The Dark Knight Rises, the Leafs are beaten down. Left to crawl away afraid, licking their wounds. Only, this team isn’t afraid. They’re angry.
And I cannot wait to witness the sheer destruction an angry Toronto Maple Leafs team is capable of unleashing upon the NHL.
Cannot wait.