3 things the Toronto Maple Leafs need to improve on
How the Toronto Maple Leafs can get better
The Toronto Maple Leafs have gotten off to a pretty solid start. Through five games they're currently 4-3-0 and are playing solid hockey.
Although the loss to the Rangers wasn't pretty, and the Columbus loss was flat-out terrible, there is still a lot to be happy about with this Toronto Maple Leafs team so far.
They're playing hard, their goaltending looks great and they're now getting scoring everywhere throughout the lineup.
That said, there is still stuff they need to improve on to make this team even stronger. Although it is still early, some glaring things need improvement if this team wants to have a successful season.
How the Toronto Maple Leafs can get better
Improvements on the power play
This is probably the most obvious of the three points I'm going to bring up.
The power play has been noticeably terrible for anyone who has watched any game this season. They're sitting tied for 26th in the league in power play percentage at 12.5 percent and have gone 3 for 23 through seven games (power play stats from ESPN.com).
The power play has been an issue for this team consistently in the playoffs but it typically hasn't bled over into the start of seasons.
In each of the first two losses from the Leafs this season they failed to score on their power play opportunities. They lost each game by a single goal (two empty net goals for the Rangers in the 4-1 loss) and one power play could have been the difference.
I need to see this team change the personnel on the first power play unit. They've had different coaches run the power play, and it has never really been that successful when it matters. The only thing that hasn't changed is the main group of players on it.
I'm aware I have mentioned the playoffs a couple of times now and it is only October right now, but I find it more concerning that it's bad now as this is where they usually find their success on the power play.
Cut down on the penalties
The Leafs have been incredibly undisciplined to start the year. They are currently 10th in the league for minor penalties per game played (stat from Statmuse.com).
If the Leafs were racking up penalties for fighting I wouldn't care that much but bad tripping and hooking penalties are lazy and only hurt the team.
The penalty kill has been good to start the year so it hasn't hurt them too much yet. They currently sit 10th in the league at an 85 percent penalty kill percentage.
Although the penalty kill has been very good, it still hurts the team not being able to play at five-on-five. Part of me expects the penalties to figure themselves out as the season goes on and the referees stop calling the game as tightly but that's something we will have to wait and see.
One player who has taken way too many penalties is Simon Benoit. I like Benoit as a player and I do think he was unlucky with one of the penalties he took against Pittsburgh but he can't keep putting the team on the penalty kill. He's had a tough start to the season and I hope he can turn it around.
Making goalies look good
Don't get me wrong, Montembeault and Shesterkin both played very well against the Leafs. The problem is the Leafs have had a problem with making goalies look good since the beginning of the Matthews era.
The Leafs did hit five posts by my count in the loss to Montreal. That is partially the puck luck not being there but they didn't get enough traffic in front of Montembeault. The Leafs have been shooting more from the point and I don't mind that but you need to get traffic in front of the net if you're going to do that. Giving goalies clean looks on shots from the point will never be effective.
They did a better job getting deflections and traffic against the Rangers but it still could've been better.
We saw the Leafs get dominated by Swayman in the playoffs last year. They rarely beat Swayman clean all series but began to find success when they got bodies in front of him and started throwing pucks on the net. Bounces off of skates and bodies are bound to happen when you do that which can create luck for yourself.
In the only series win in the Matthews era, the Leafs were able to make Vasilevskiy look very human. They did a great job taking away Vasilevskiy's eyes with good screens and throwing pucks towards the net.
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If the Leafs want success against top goalies that's how they're going to get it done.