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Toronto Maple Leafs: 3 Stars for the Month of February

By Todd Cordell

VANCOUVER, BC - DECEMBER 10: John Tavares #91 of the Toronto Maple Leafs checks his stick during their NHL game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena December 10, 2019 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Toronto won 4-1. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images)
VANCOUVER, BC - DECEMBER 10: John Tavares #91 of the Toronto Maple Leafs checks his stick during their NHL game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena December 10, 2019 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Toronto won 4-1. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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Toronto Maple Leafs
CLEVELAND, OH – JANUARY 24: Toronto Marlies defenceman Jake Muzzin (2) controls the puck during the second period of the American Hockey League game between the Toronto Marlies and Cleveland Monsters on January 24, 2020, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, OH. (Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

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.

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