Long is the winter night in Toronto when the Toronto Maple Leafs can’t keep the puck out of their own net.
For years now, the Toronto Maple Leafs, their coaches, and their fans have fantasized about a team that had a no-nonsense shutdown checking line that can be used against other team’s top lines and allow the team to create some easier matchups for their elite offensive players.
The hope was that Alex Kerfoot could centre some kind of defensive line, but he seems more suited to playing the wing on a scoring line (though he’s an excellent defender). Then the Leafs hoped that some combination of Nick Foligno and Riley Nash might do the trick.
Injuries made it so we never found out.
This year, however, the Leafs may have finally struck gold in their quest for a killer shutdown line.
Toronto Maple Leafs, David Kampf and Ondrej Kase
If the early season results are any indication, the Leafs may have finally found the combo they’ve been looking for for so long.
So far this year, the Leafs have used David Kampf and Ondrej Kase in the defensive zone whenever possible. Kase has started 51 shifts in the dzone, while Kase has started 50. The next closest player that hasn’t been paired with them is Nylander with 15 less dzone starts.
The two players are starting only between 11 and 14% of their shifts in the offensive zone. Despite such weighted usage, the duo is getting a 57% puck possession rating while on the ice together.
They are getting 60% of the shots, and 57% of the expected goals.
Now, some of their great work may be going unnoticed because the goalies have done so badly when they are on the ice together. Kase/Kampf have just a 3.85% shooting percentage, and a 83.87% save percentage, both of which are incredibly unlucky.
In their completely defensive roles, the duo is asked to play tough minutes against the opposition’s best players, and to start most of their shifts in the Leafs end. This has led to them scoring twice and allowing five goals, which is good anyways, considering the usage, but works to hide how great they’ve been.
The fact that they are actually outplaying their opponents and are deserving of a plus rating is incredible.
We shouldn’t declare anyone the Selke winner right now, and even cautiously keep in mind that it’s early days and there is no guarantee that this continues. However, so far so good.
If this line continues to shutdown whoever they play against, then, at least at home with last change, the Leafs can get really favorable matchups with Matthews, Marner, Tavares and Nylander.
This creates a lot of options for the coach, and makes the team much harder to play against. If Kase and Kampf are for real, then the Leafs going to be a very, very good team.