After a likely undeserved win over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday, the Toronto Maple Leafs moved back firmly into a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Despite facing a lot of injuries in recent times, the Toronto Maple Leafs somehow seemed to continue to chug along and pull out key victories along the way. (To be fair, before Woll none of the injuries have been to impact players).
There is no question that the team has been getting lucky, but having one of the best sets of core players in the NHL does allow the Leafs to score their way out of a lot of trouble.
However, there have been two glaring stats about their game that have been quite worrisome, and could present some serious repercussions later in the season if not rectified soon. The two stats in question include regulation wins and shot against per game.
2 Worrisome Stats for the Toronto Maple Leafs So Far This Season
In the case for regulation wins this season, the Leafs have been riding the tightrope all season as they have had almost half of their games go into overtime so far in 2023-24. Fortunately, they have managed to come out victorious in 7 of their 11 games that needed extra time.
More surprisingly, with shootouts being one of their main weaknesses in the past, the Leafs have actually been quite successful this year with a tidy 4-1 record in such situations.
However, as much as they could be applauded for their success in overtime, the Leafs have only put together 6 regulation wins all season. That ranked them 29th in the entire league and was just one win more than the league low of 5.
How much longer can they sustain this is uncertain, but one thing is for sure, it isn’t a recipe for success in the long run.
Eventually, they could lose the extra point just as easily as how they obtained it, along with the fact that playing too many games beyond regulation during the regular season can take a toll on the players over the course of the season. As a result, they may end up not having much left in the tank if they manage to make the playoffs.
In addition, the Leafs have given up an average of 33 shots per game, which was the sixth most in the league. They have been fortunate to have Joseph Woll bail the them out on multiple occasions with some ten-bell saves. But with Woll now on the mend, Ilya Samsonov not being 100% yet, and the team requiring the services of third-string goalie Martin Jones now, the constant barrage of shots will eventually catch up to them.
Therefore, the Leafs need to seriously tighten up their defense to give their goalie a fair chance at making the saves they are suppose to and to give the team the opportunity to win every time out. Otherwise, they will certainly find the puck entering the back of their net more often than not in the near future. (All stats from NHL.com)
If the Leafs manage to make the necessary adjustments, it will help them establish long-term stability and success, while making their goal of winning the Stanley Cup one step closer.