4 Areas the Toronto Maple Leafs Will Need to Improve
By Edward Eng
![Sep 24, 2023; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators left wing Brady Tkachuk (7) celebrates his goal against Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Keith Petruzzelli (80) in the first period at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports Sep 24, 2023; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Ottawa Senators left wing Brady Tkachuk (7) celebrates his goal against Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Keith Petruzzelli (80) in the first period at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/9b587237f086290e349d71cfd2e352cf0c8a5ee2299a7902a109116047bcf8b3.jpg)
Last season, the Toronto Maple Leafs compiled an impressive total of 111 points, finishing second in the Atlantic Division behind the Boston Bruins and fourth overall in the entire league.
The Toronto Maple Leafs success was fueled by their potent offence, solid defense, along with some strong play in net.
Not only that, but the Leafs also found themselves in the upper echelon in the league with regards to their special teams, as their power play ranked second overall only behind the formidable Edmonton Oilers team.
At the same time, their penalty killing was quite respectable as well, ranking 12th in the NHL.
Most importantly, they finally got over the hump in winning their first playoff round in almost two decades by beating their long-time nemesis Tampa Bay Lightning.
Unfortunately, they couldn’t advance any further as they were eventually stopped by the tough, grinding Florida Panthers team in the following round.
Despite their somewhat successful 2022-23 season, there were actually a few surprising areas in their game that wasn’t so stellar, and will definitely need improvement if they intend to be perennial contenders for the Stanley Cup.
Here, we take a look at four particular aspects of the game that if the Toronto Maple Leafs don’t make the necessary adjustments, it could prove to be detrimental to the team’s success going forward.