Toronto Maple Leafs: Cue the Over Reactions and Insanity

The Toronto Maple Leafs played a good game and lost.

The Toronto Maple Leafs back-up goalie Michael Hutchinson and their worst player, Cody Ceci each had a complete meltdown, which led to the team losing a game in which they absolutely dominated from start to finish.

It was a disappointing loss, but like many of the Leafs losses this year, instead of being sad, it just made me think  ‘damn, this team is going to be so insanely good if they ever catch a few breaks.’

I mean, It’s one thing if your team keeps losing and deserving to.

But when the Leafs lose, it is usually because their goalie forgets how pads and blockers work.

Toronto Maple Leafs Are a Great Team

The Leafs are one of the best teams in the NHL, and one of the only teams regularly out performing their goaltending.  This is an indication of a team that will be successful.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have some of the best team stats in the NHL.

Unfortunately, they also have the 19th best PDO (save and shooting percentage combined) and the 24th best save percentage.

The good news is that Freddie Andersen is a much better goalie than the stats indicate.  The good news is that PDO eventually reverts to 100, so it’s sure to climb.  The good news is that the Toronto Maple Leafs record, considering the near league-worst goaltending they’ve received, is pretty good.  (Stats naturalstattrick.com).

Toronto Maple Leafs vs Panthers

After the game, the TV was unwatchable.  “Is this the immaturity the coach was talking about?,” and other such horse-crap.  I had to shut ‘er down.

If your goalie gets injured mid game and your back up lets in three goals on ten shots, it has nothing to do with your team’s defense, maturity, growth, or 401K.

The Leafs lost because Michael Hutchinson was brutal and the winning goal was scored from behind the net.

It’s been an annoying season, but if it was easy to win, it wouldn’t matter so much. The Toronto Maple Leafs record should be a lot better than it is.

This roster, the way they play every night, it shouldn’t be struggling to make the playoffs.

And it won’t.

The Leafs put themselves in a big hole when their six game losing streak led to Mike Babcock getting fired.  They have had one of the best records in the NHL ever since.

Games like last night are going to happen.

But look at the positives: The Toronto Maple Leafs went up against a really good team without their best defenseman, their goalie got hurt during the game, and they still would have won if they had any luck at all.

The outlook for this team should be incredibly positive: If the Leafs had gotten even league average goaltending this season, they’d be first overall.