Defence has never been a problem for the Toronto Maple Leafs. That’s the sentiment espoused by former coach Sheldon Keefe.
In an interview by Sheldon Keefe in The Athletic in which Keefe mentioned how the Toronto Maple Leafs never really had a problem defending. The main issue was scoring, especially in the playoffs.
Still, it seemed like the Leafs Achilles’ heel was always the defensive side of the equation. Granted, it’s been a long time since the Leafs got solid goaltending like this season. I can’t really remember the last time the Leafs had a solid starting netminder, much less a strong tandem.
Perhaps since the early days of Fredrik Andersen, the Leafs have lacked a solid go-to guy in goal. That’s changed with Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz.
But when looking at the numbers this season, it seems like the Leafs have morphed into the Boston Bruins. The Maple Leafs are playing a tougher, tighter-checking style at the expense of their offence. Gone are the days of 6-5 wins and 7-4 defeats.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are now consistently in tight games often going down to the wire. When they lose by more than two, it’s usually due to multiple empty-net goals.
Currently, the Leafs are 5th in the league with a 2.63 GAA. That’s a huge jump from last season. Last year, the Leafs were 21st with a 3.18 GAA.
However, it was the offence that picked up the slack. The Leafs were second in goal per game with 3.63. So, when doing the math, that was a slight difference, roughly 0.45 goals per game.
That total was good enough for regular season success. But when the scoring dried up in the playoffs, the Leafs found themselves in a tight spot.
Defense not really a problem for the Toronto Maple Leafs
The purpose of relieving Sheldon Keefe and hiring Craig Berube was to bring a new voice into the room. Keefe was clearly capable of winning, but it just never happened, and it seemed as if a change was needed for everyone involved.
Thus far, it seems like the experiment is paying off dividends, at least when it comes to the team's record. The goalies have been great, and everything else is a bit of work in progress.
The Leafs clearly need roster upgrades, and their stats leave a lot to be desired, but no one can argue with the results so far.
While fixing the offence is another story entirely, the fact of the matter is that it’s just a matter of time before Auston Matthews heats up. The unusually high number of injuries have taken its toll on the team, as well.
Ultimately, this situation means that GM Brad Treliving will need to target scoring talent to bolster scoring, particularly in the playoffs. Last season, the Leafs finished last among playoff teams in goals per game with 1.71 and currently have basically no scoring coming from the bottom-six or the blue-line.
That’s something that needs to change this season. If the Toronto Maple Leafs can maintain their current goaltending into the postseason, things could look up. But there is no question the Leafs need more production.
Figuring out where that will come from is the biggest challenge facing the team at the moment.