Now Is Not the Time for the Toronto Maple Leafs to Hit the Panic Button

The Toronto Maple Leafs may not be playing their best puck. We explain why their legion of fans shouldn’t be unnerved and overact.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are not the force that many expected that they would be at the start of the season. On paper, this a team that should be dominant, especially on special teams. In reality, they’re a group that has underperformed.

It appeared as though things would turn around when the Maple Leafs announced a mid-season change, booting Mike Babcock in favour of Sheldon Keefe.

For a time they did. Keefe appeared to have gained immediate success, but the tide has turned and Toronto has been losing. Despite their most recent big loss on Saturday to the Chicago Blackhawks, it’s still too hasty to panic.

If a fan’s visceral reaction to the Leafs skid is to call for seismic changes and rush into making trades, they need to take a breath. There are many reasons why this team will make the playoffs without having to resort to knee-jerk decisions.

The Talent is Undeniable

There isn’t a team in the National Hockey League who wouldn’t love to have the star power that exists on the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Do not forget that this is a squad that features the firepower of forwards Auston Mathews, John Tavares,  Mitch Marner, and William Nylander. Though the team is 1-5 in their last six games, they have still seen a tolerable level of production.

In those six games, the Leafs have a shooting percentage of 9.8%, which is slightly lower than their season average, but still above league average.

They have also been able to create regular opportunities, including taking 47 shots against the Florida Panthers in a loss on January 12. Toronto’s play and statistics through their rough patch all suggest that the offense is still reliable.

The same cannot be said for the team’s defense. The cause is clear. The Leafs are not at full strength.

Injuries are Devastating

The Leafs are going to score. They have enough depth up front to run strong lines despite losing Ilya Mikheyev when he suffered a severed artery and tendons in his wrist. It has been harder to patch the leaks that have come from a beaten-up blueline.

The Leafs have been missing two of their best defensemen, Jake Muzzin and Morgan Rielly. This has not been something they’ve been able to manage despite calling-up the player who was the best defenseman in the World Junior Championships, Rasmus Sandin.

While Rielly is expected to miss eight weeks of action, Jake Muzzin could be back following the All-Star break.

This is significant for the Leafs. Muzzin represents their best defensive defenseman who also throws his weight around for the team. Without their best shutdown man, the Leafs have been vulnerable.

With Muzzin in the lineup, playing an average of 21:21 minutes per game, there is no doubt that the team will be improved.

When their best defenseman, Rielly, is also back, the Leafs will once again make strides in their play. There’s just one more area the club needs to fortify, goaltending.

Frederik Andersen

The biggest fault over the last stretch of games for the Leafs has been their shaky goaltending.

Even though Frederik Andersen has been named an All-Star, he hasn’t played like one of late. Just like his team, he has lost five of his last six games. In that span, he has had the abysmal save percentage of 0.864.

Andersen’s save percentage on the season isn’t that poor, but it is down from his career average. It is 0.912 compared to 0.917. The good news for Toronto is that if their goalie could return to his season or career average, they stand a far better chance to win games.

Simply put, Andersen is in a slump. It happens. A player as talented as he is will not continue to slide forever, but will inevitably bounce back. Ideally, in the interest of team success, Andersen returns to his career or even season save-percentage average before the Leafs drop further in the standings.

Though the Maple Leafs currently sit just outside the playoff picture, they should still qualify to play in the tournament.

They trail both wildcard spots by just a single point and are tied with the Florida Panthers though the Panthers hold two games in hand.

The All-Star break couldn’t come at a better time for Toronto. The team can get some rest and regroup to have a strong second half of the season.

Leafs fans can take their hands off the panic button for now. It’s still early and there’s lots of hockey left to play and plenty of chances for the talent on the team to shine.