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Toronto Maple Leafs: A Look at Each Team’s Play In the Atlantic Division

By Andrew Kogut

TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 13: Jack Campbell #36 of the Toronto Maple Leafs takes a water break against the Montreal Canadiens during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on October 13, 2021 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated the Canadiens 2-1. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 13: Jack Campbell #36 of the Toronto Maple Leafs takes a water break against the Montreal Canadiens during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on October 13, 2021 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Maple Leafs defeated the Canadiens 2-1. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /
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DETROIT, MICHIGAN – OCTOBER 04: Robby Fabbri #14 of the Detroit Red Wings (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MICHIGAN – OCTOBER 04: Robby Fabbri #14 of the Detroit Red Wings (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

Detroit: 9-9-3 (21 points)

Alex Nedeljkovic has been good (.917 SV%) and Dylan Larkin is playing closer to his 2018-2019 level when he scored over 30 and racked up more than 70 points. Detroit scored a nice win over the Blues Wednesday after a disastrous road-trip (0-4). They do have some good young talent though.

Winger Lucas Raymond (8G, 20P in 21 games) and big defenseman Moritz Seider (13P in 21 games) were both early 1st-round draft picks (4th and 6th, respectively, from the 2020 and 2019 drafts) and already look to have arrived. Jakub Vrana and Tyler Bertuzzi are also high-ceiling players. Things for the Wings are on upswings.

Random Observation: Bertuzzi, sans-vaccine has been obscene. With 9 goals and 18 points in 18 games, he hasn’t been bothered by his inability to play in Canada. Drafted in the late-2nd round (58-overall), Bertuzzi has produced nicely with back-to-back 20 goal, nearly 50-point seasons and now looks primed to dwarf those numbers. Let’s just hope he doesn’t have a direct line to Marc Crawford.

Tampa Bay: 12-4-3 (27 points)

Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov may be injured but for Tampa, like James van Riemsdyk’s back-checking intensity, it’s no sweat. Stamkos (leading the team with 11 goals and 23 points) and Vasilevskiy (2.09 GAA, .926 SV%) have been the driving forces for this Lightning team but Alex Killorn (7G, 17P) has also produced nicely in a slightly increased role. Their PP is only ranked 15th so watch out when that heats up and the team is healthy. So while Gourde, Coleman and Goodrow may have Bolted it didn’t Tampa-r with their playoff aspirations.

Random Observation: I still don’t quite understand how Tampa lucked out with the Alex Barre-Boulet situation. Lost to the Kraken on waivers earlier in the season, Barre-Boulet, just 24, is a young winger/centre who has absolutely lit up the AHL (and, prior to that, the Q) to the tune of 69 goals and 136 points in 144 games. That’s a heck of a better waiver-wire pickup than, say, Adam Brooks. Crooks.

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