The Week in Review, the Week Ahead for the Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs had a good week.
Sure, they lost their first game in a month. Then they lost their second one the very next game. For some Toronto Maple Leafs fans, the losses were the signal they’d been waiting for to resume their complaining.
For the rest of us, we saw a team play three decent games, two of which they failed to get results in.
If you go 15 games in a row without losing (and since the NHL hands out a point for losing in overtime, an overtime loss is not really a loss) you are definitely getting some results you don’t technically deserve.
And that means you’ll eventually end up on the wrong side of games you play well in.
Toronto Maple Leafs Week in Review
The Toronto Maple Leafs kicked things off in fine fashion last week, destroying the Mighty Ducks 7-0. It was the most lopsided game of the year, and the Leafs looked unbeatable afterwards.
Which is funny, because they lost their next game.
Heading out onto the road to take on the Rangers, the Leafs played an excellent game and this time they lost. Igor Shesterkin was amazing, and the Leafs seemed to have used up all their puck luck the night before.
It was the first loss in a month, but ironically, one of the most complete games they played the whole time.
Then Saturday came and Ilya Samsonov was perhaps too eager to face his former team. He played the worst game of his short Leafs career, and the Leafs were unable to beat another hot goalie.
The Leafs have actually played five games in a row where they have dominated by Expected Goals Percentage, their lowest total being against Washington where they played well enough to expect 57% of the goals.
Because of Christmas, the Leafs only play twice this week.
First up, Tampa on Tuesday. The playoff rematch. The litmus test. Blah blah. Whatever. The Leafs deserved to win last year and are the better team this year.
After that, it’s the Flyers. The Flyers are not very good, and the Leafs beat them 5-2 about a month ago.
The Leafs are currently one point back of the Golden Knights for second in the NHL overall standings, and they are in a three-way tie with the Devils and Hurricanes for third.
They can’t catch Boston before Christmas, but will almost certainly catch them eventually, since they are a vastly superior team, and the Bruins won’t get super-lucky forever.