It may seem hyperbolic to suggest the Maple Leafs must salvage their season in early November. But, unfortunately, that’s where the team’s current situation is headed.
Heading into Wednesday night’s action, the Leafs are 5-4-1, good for a share of third place in the Atlantic Division with 11 points. But that also means the Leafs are one point out of last place.
That reality signals that the Atlantic Division is highly competitive to start the season. But it also means that the Maple Leafs have not done enough to cement themselves atop the division.
The win over the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night could have been a pivotal turning point. A loss would have sunk the Leafs into last place in the division. Sure, it would have been nothing more than a temporary setback, but the optics would have been terrible.
Then again, the Leafs struggled to beat the team with the worst record in the league. That’s why the next stretch of games could define the Leafs’ season. The next batch includes Wednesday night’s tilt in Columbus against the Blue Jackets. After, the Leafs face the Flyers, Penguins, Mammoth, and Bruins.
That’s five games in which only the Penguins and Mammoth are in playoff spots. Still, all five are winnable games. The Leafs could easily go on a run and push themselves to the top of the division.
Yes, it’s barely the end of October. But the Leafs can’t afford to fall behind at this point.
Maple Leafs can’t afford to play catchup the rest of the season
So, here’s the deal with falling behind at this point in the season. The Leafs will have to tread water the rest of the way just to make the playoffs. While the goal is to make a strong playoff run, a subpar regular season wouldn’t bode well for a good playoff run.
Some might think: Well, the Leafs can just grind through the season a turn it up in March and April ahead of the playoffs? After all, it’s better to hit the postseason hot than to peak in November.
While that’s true, how many times have we seen the Maple Leafs do that? When was the last time Toronto parlayed a strong stretch drive into a massive playoff push?
The fact is that the Leafs need to do the heavy lifting now and put themselves in a relatively comfortable spot heading into the New Year. Trying to play catchup following the Olympics could lead the Leafs to back into the postseason. That could translate into a first-round exit.
So, why eat the frog in November? Get the team’s fundamentals on track and spend the rest of the season sharpening the strategy and tactics for the playoffs? Winning a Stanley Cup is all that matters. And as it stands right now, the Maple Leafs don’t look like Cup contenders.
The good news is there’s plenty of time to get over the slow start and right the ship.