Toronto Maple Leafs: Blood, Sweat, Tears, and the Same Results

On the Ice

The Toronto Maple Leafs started the regular season with a 7-2-1 record and played as expected. They scored at least three goals in all but one game, with their losses resulting from poor defense/goaltending.

Jack Campbell suffered an injury in the January 24th matchup against Calgary and would be out until he re-injured himself on February 27th. Toronto compensated for his loss by scoring a ton in February, averaging a whopping 3.75 goals per game. (stats nhl.com).

At that point, Toronto was considered one of, if not the top team in the league. They accumulated a record of 9-2-1, solidifying their position atop the Scotia North Division and NHL.

The month of March was a very different story for the team. It consisted of their worst stretch of the season. After winning two games against the Edmonton Oilers, Toronto would play seven games before winning in regulation.

As Leafs fans, we all thought the worst of the situation. The team would not be able to recover from such a horrifying drop in play and the standings. Not that another Canadian team overtook them, but the Leafs erased their comfortable lead of the division.

Thankfully, the team rebounded by picking up 19 of the following 20 points available. That was later in March and the beginning of April. For the duration of the season, the Leafs played well, finishing first in their division, and tied for fifth in the NHL.

Their star-led offense is what carried the team throughout their highs and lows. Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner ranked fifth and fourth in the NHL for points. Add to that, five players on the team had more than 0.75 points per game.

The team’s offense is their powerhouse. While that was thriving, the goaltending struggled; at least under Frederik Andersen, but settled down when Campbell took over the starting gig. Heading into the postseason, the Leafs were ready to compete; or at least we thought they were.