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Toronto Maple Leafs: Fun with the NHL Standings December 2022

By James Tanner

Nov 28, 2022; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs right wing Mitchell Marner (16) skates with the puck in the first period against the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 28, 2022; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs right wing Mitchell Marner (16) skates with the puck in the first period against the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Toronto Maple Leafs are on one of the best runs in franchise history at the moment.

Last night Mitch Marner set Toronto Maple Leafs history with a point in his 19th straight game, and the Leafs continued their hot streak, which is now 11 straight games without a regulation loss, and just one regulation loss in 17 games, which is over 20% of the season.

Incroyable!

It’s clear to anyone paying attention that the Leafs are among the NHL’s best teams, but it’s time to look into the NHL standings and see what is happening.

Toronto Maple Leafs and the NHL Standings

The Toronto Maple Leafs are currently second in the Atlantic Division with a 15-5-6 record.

The Leafs are also 3rd in the Conference and 4th overall.

By points percentage, the Leafs are 4th, with a very impressive .692 points-percentage.

The Leafs should be very happy with these results since the three teams ahead of them combined for just 2 OT losses in 72 games.  The Leafs have 6 of them in 26 games, which is improbable.

OT losses are pretty much random over enough time, they will be even in OT.  In the four seasons preceding this one the Leafs OT record is 30-31.

The Leafs are actually the 4th worst team since 3 on 3 came into the NHL, and they were 57-64 before this season started (which is clearly within the distribution of randomness).

The Boston Bruins remain the class of the NHL, with a crazy 20-3 record.  They are sixth in 5v5 shooting percentage, and 1st in 5v5 save percentage.  Their PDO is way higher than even the second place PDO team (Dallas).  The Bruins can’t keep this up and aren’t anywhere near this good.

The Leafs are being buoyed by a 5th overall save percentage which isn’t sustainable, but their middle of the road shooting percentage should rise to offset the inevitable goaltending decline.

They are a more talented and deeper team than the Bruins, who probably are not even a top-five team when all is said and done. They are extremely overrated right now.

Tampa, Florida, Edmonton and Calgary are all teams getting unlucky right now that you should expect to climb the standings the rest of the way.

Expect the Jets to fall.

Ottawa and Buffalo are better than they seem.

The Devils are for real.

The Rangers would miss the playoffs if the season ended today.

Surprisingly, Vancouver isn’t even that far outside of the Playoffs. The west is very weak this year.

Next. Leafs Top 10 Prospects. dark

It’s been a fun season so far, The Toronto Maple Leafs are just five points out of first place overall, a position they will eventually occupy.

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