Toronto Maple Leafs in Great Shape for Stretch Run

The Toronto Maple Leafs are in a good position to make the playoffs.

Now, nothing is guaranteed, and the Toronto Maple Leafs could end up on the outside looking in, but the probabilities are with them.

The facts are, this team is doing quite well when you factor in a six game losing streak, changing coaches (and subsequently playing a new system), and their injury problems.

The fact is the Leafs have played 58 games this year, and Freddie Andersen, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Jake Muzzin, Morgan Rielly and John Tavares have combined to miss 58 games.

To say nothing of injuries to Johnsson, Mikheyev, Dermott, Hymen or Kerfoot, the Leafs have been missing an average of one core player per game all season long.

And they maintain a playoff position at the current moment.  I feel if you’ve done well under negative circumstances, it’s reasonable to assume that you’ll do better when circumstances improve. (All stats naturalstattrick.com).

Toronto Maple Leafs and Sheldon Keefe

Since hiring Sheldon Keefe, the Leafs are 4th in wins, 6th in points, and 5th by the most accurate measurement, points percentage.  It’s the most accurate measurement because the Leafs have played up to 5 less games than some teams during this time.

If the Leafs can be the fifth best team while playing every game without a star player, they should be pretty confident in their abilities to make the playoffs.

There are 24 games left, and if the Leafs continue with the .657 points percentage they’ve put up under Keeefe so far, they’ll make it easily.

Even better news is the fact that the Leafs now have a solid goalie tandem.  Campbell should solidify the back-up position, while Andersen is bound to start playing better.

Hutchinson and Andersen (and three games by Campbell) have combined to be the seventh worst goalies in the NHL since Keefe was hired.

If a team that is the fifth best in the league despite bad goaltending starts getting just league average goaltending, you don’t have to have graduated first in your class at the Devry Institute to realize that’s going to make them even better.

It’s easy to get emotional and to buy into ridiculous narratives, but the fact is that even despite a few bumps in the road, the Leafs under Keefe have been an elite team that is on pace to be something the second best in the league over 82 games.

It’s also only year four of a supposed five-year rebuild, and they still have one of the youngest teams in the NHL.  By advice is to stop being negative about every minor thing and enjoy the ride – the Toronto Maple Leafs have never iced a better or more exciting team.