Toronto Maple Leafs: 3 Stars for the Month of February
The Toronto Maple Leafs went through a ton of ups and downs in the month of February.
On one hand, the Toronto Maple Leafs dropped six of their first 10 games and were beaten by an emergency goaltender (who works for the team) in their last game prior to the trade deadline.
On the other hand, they concluded the month with four wins in five games; including impressive victories over Eastern Conference powerhouses like the Pittsburgh Penguins and Tampa Bay Lightning.
All told, they finished with a mediocre 8-6-1 record and a minus-1 goal differential.
The Carolina game was embarrassing, but the Toronto Maple Leafs also played several games without both of their top defensemen
That record is nothing to write home about, of course, but there were still a few standout performers.
Let’s take a look at three of them in our stars of the month.
3rd star – John Tavares
John Tavares had a very John Tavares month.
The Toronto Maple Leafs captain quietly went about his business and, when all was said and done, the body of work was remarkably impressive.
Tavares scored eight goals, bested only by Matthews.
He recorded 17 points, on par with Matthews. He had seven primary assists, good for 1st on the roster. He also finished 1st in primary points.
He was clearly ultra productive individually and there were zero red flags – in terms of his on-ice impact – to take away from that.
The Toronto Maple Leafs out-chanced and out-scored opponents with Tavares on the ice.
It was a strong month across the board for Tavares, who is producing at a 37-goal, 81-point pace over a full schedule.
Tavares currently has 26 goals and 58 points in 60 games this season. This is slightly down from last year, but Tavares missed several games with injuries, as did his usually running mates from last year Zach Hyman and Mitch Marner. (All stats naturalstattrick.com).
Tavares still maintains well over 50% rates in all major on-ice stats, and the only thing detracting from his season is an 88% save percentage by Leafs goalies while he’s on the ice.
2nd star – Jake Muzzin
Muzzin signed a four-year contract extension during the month of February and showed exactly why he was so deserving of a new deal.
Put simply, Muzzin did it all for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
He showed more offensive prowess than usual, contributing nine points in just 13 games. Importantly, that didn’t come at the expense of his defensive game or play away from the puck.
Muzzin finished 3rd on the Leafs in Expected Goals Against/60, indicating they weren’t giving up many quality looks with him on the ice. He led the team in PK time on ice per game, finished 1st on the entire roster in Expected Goals For%, and tied for 1st with a plus-4 goal differential.
He also brought some bite to the table, landing more hits than all but Kyle Clifford and Justin Holl.
Unfortunately, Muzzin went down after blocking a shot and will miss the next several weeks.
Overall for the season, Muzzin has a 54% Corsi-For Percentage, and the Leafs are getting nearly 55% of the total shots when he’s on the ice. He has been outstanding, and the trade that Kyle Dubas made to acquire him last season is looking better with every game he plays.
1st star – Auston Matthews
The Toronto Maple Leafs lead superstar continues to prove he’s worth every penny of the $11.64 million he’s pulling in on an annual basis.
Matthews tallied nine goals and 17 points in 15 games while generating chances at an unmatched rate.
Matthews piled up 83 scoring opportunities in February, good for 1st in the league. Brady Tkachuk (79) and Kyle Connor (71) were the only two others to record more than 70.
It wasn’t just the individual production that stood out. Matthews also did a superb job of tilting the ice in Toronto’s favor whenever he was out there.
At 5v5, the Toronto Maple Leafs controlled 56.60% of the scoring chances.
He led the Maple Leafs in that category and the strong chance differential translated into success on the scoreboard. Matthews’ plus-3 goal differential at 5v5 was not bested by any forward on the roster.
Overall this season, with Matthews on the ice, the Leafs have gotten 56% of the dangerous chances, while scoring 60% of the total goals. Matthews has rock solid statistics in every category and is well on pace for over 50 goals.
Next. Top Ten Prospects. dark
He may not be leading the NHL in total goals, but he does have a five goal lead in 5v5 goals.