Toronto Maple Leafs: Schedule, Standings, News and More

The Toronto Maple Leafs have won three of their last four games, along with eight of their last eleven.

Of course, the Boston Bruins are 8-2 and appear to not understand the meaning of the word “regression” (just kidding, 65 games is still within the realm of luck over skill, and it will happen eventually) meaning the Toronto Maple Leafs haven’t gained any ground in the standings.

The Leafs sit 2.5 games back of New Jersey, for third in the NHL standings, while they sit three games up on the struggling Lightning who are 3-5-2 in their last ten games.

The Wild Card in the West is looking interesting, but Ottawa (who we are cheering for) needs to get hot if they want to pass the Islanders while holding off Florida, Detroit and Buffalo.

Toronto Maple Leafs News, Thoughts, etc.

The Leafs are tied for second in the NHL if you only count games that don’t go to overtime, along with Edmonton, both teams have 34 regulation wins.

Jack Campbell was not worth signing and I told you so. 

Bobby McMann has 18  goals in his last 18 games in the AHL, meaning he is likely a very good NHL player.  He might also to get a shot ahead of the hyped up Matthew Knies, or more likely, both will get a shot to win a job for the team down the stretch to maybe add a power-forward type to the lineup.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have a busy week ahead – they play Buffalo tonight, Colorado on Wednesday, Carolina on Friday and then Ottawa on Saturday.

Since joining the Leafs Jake McCabe has only allowed one 5v5 goal while he’s been on the ice, which sounds pretty good. The only problem is that goals are the worst stat to use in a small sample size (he’s played five games) and the goalies have a 97% save percentage when he’s on the ice.

We know, for a fact and beyond any doubt that players do not affect a goalies save percentage at the NHL level.

The Leafs bleed dangerous chances when he’s on the ice (15 vs 7) and possess the puck less than when he’s not on the ice.   McCabe so far has a 38.5% expected goals rating. 

TJ Brodie and Jake McCabe are too slow to be effective together, and Keefe would do well to put McCabe with a puck mover.  Morgan Rielly makes Brodie better than McCabe does, and the same formula is likely to work here.  Plus it just makes sense to have your three best defensive defensemen on separate lines (Gio, Brodie, McCabe).

So far, I prefer Brian McCabe (although lets be honest, he’d have to be amazing to become the best  McCabe in Leafs history).