Toronto Maple Leafs Problems Are Obvious and Easy To Fix

The Toronto Maple Leafs have three main problems.

And all of the problems the Toronto Maple Leafs have are super easy to fix.  There is nothing to worry about.

The Coyotes won last night, but the Leafs had 63% possession, and you win the vast majority of the time that happens.  I know people hate to hear about how random hockey is, but sometimes that really is the answer.  Matthews is almost always going to score in games when he gets eight scoring chances.  The Leafs are rarely ever going to play games where they get just one power-play,  I don’t even know how many posts they hit.

This is just me, I mean, you can do whatever you want, but my advice is that you shouldn’t take a mid January game against the Arizona Coyotes all that seriously. Most of the recent losing streak can be laid at the feet of an injured goalie and preposterously long scoring slumps from players who just don’t slump this bad, and might play their entire careers without ever doing so again.

Sure, the Leafs are frustrating lately, but most of their problems will go away on their own, or are easy to fix, and when they’re on the verge of winning a Stanley Cup in  a couple of months, you’ll have forgot all about this little run.

Three Problems, All Easy to Fix

Problem number one: Matthews, Kadri and Nylander are in a scoring slump.  (Also, Lindholm, Marleau and a few others, but those are the ones that matter).

This problem is super easy to fix: just wait it out.

Matthews was creating chances last night like a machine.  He’s eventually going to score nine goals over five games and that will be that.

Nylander, looking like the best fourth liner in NHL history had an assist and eventually forced his way back up the lineup. He was 66% last night.  He even had an assist!  He’ll also be fine.  Good players don’t suddenly get bad, and no matter how much you hate him for holding out, he’s an elite player and will return to his former glory any minute now.

Same with Kadri.

Problem number two: The power-play isn’t scoring.  It’s really more frustrating that the Leafs don’t draw penalties.  Last night, they had one. I don’t remember watching  a game recently where it seemed like they got more than one or two chances.  But again, as much as this is annoying, it’s not really something that is likely to become the norm.

The Leafs are not the team with the least PP chances, they are the team with the least penalties. The NHL is an even-up league and so my best advice is to take more penalties and get more power plays.  With the Leafs lineup this should easily be a winning strategy.

But as for the lack of PP success? Just wait it out, it’s more about being unlucky than anything else. Even if people hate to hear that, it’s the truth.

Two problems down, one to go.

Ron Hainsey

It’s not his fault the coach makes him play on the top line, but he’s out-matched constantly.  Bad players blow by him like he’s not even there.  He is almost always one of the worst players on the ice.  The worst part is that against lower competition on a third pairing, he’s probably a really effective player.

Time for the GM or the coach to end this and either change the lines or make a trade.  It’s hardly fair to Hainsey that he’s constantly put in a position to fail.

So how do you fix the Toronto Maple Leafs?  You just wait out the bad spell and also replace Ron Hainsey.  What could be easier?

Stats from naturalstattrick.com