The Toronto Maple Leafs have had a solid opening five games to their season. One could say near perfect if we ignore their two losses to the Detroit Red Wings.
Outside a quiet start to the season for newcomer Matias Maccelli, the Leafs top players all sit at a point-per-game or higher. Anthony Stolarz has been stealing games in net, and Easton Cowan has had a promising start to his NHL career.
There's lots to like so far if you're the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the time to win games and take over the Atlantic Division is now.
The Leafs enter a lighter part of their schedule over the next ten games, and they need to win big.
Leafs need to win big over next 10 games
Starting from Saturday night's game until November 8th's tilt against the Boston Bruins, the Leafs will play ten times, with nine (yes, nine) coming against teams who missed the playoffs last season.
The one team who did make the playoffs, the 16th overall, 91-point New Jersey Devils, who bowed out in five games in the first round last year.
The Leafs have a favourable run of games here in the early part of the 2025-26 season, and they need to take advantage of it. If the buds can earn at least 14/20 possible points over this stretch, that'll be a success in my books.
Should they shoot for more? Of course, but winning seven out of those 10 is a good starting point, especially considering the ever-competitive Atlantic Division.
On top of this, seven of these 10 games are at home, eight if we count the Leafs trip to Buffalo on October 24th.
The Leafs have no excuse not to come out with a string of wins in this stretch. Their big boys are performing and they have very little in the way of injuries.
A big winning streak would put the league on notice, but a failure to capitalize on this opportunity could end up costing them in the long run.
Every point matters, and the Leafs have a great chance to earn plenty of them over their next 10.