The Toronto Maple Leafs’ power play had been on life support this season. Just about everyone in the NHL was calling for the stats people to declare a time of death. But the recent move to dismiss former power play coach Marc Savard and bring in Steve Sullivan has seemingly jolted the Leafs’ play with the man advantage back to life.
The last two games, the win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night and the tough overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday night, have brought the Maple Leafs’ power play back to life.
The reanimation is akin to the scene in which Dr. Frankenstein yells, “It’s alive!” as the creature regains life. Indeed, the Maple Leafs’ power play looks rejuvenated. But then again, it looks like Steve Sullivan is a genius for getting back to basics.
Now, I’ll be honest. I thought the Leafs had removed Auston Matthews from the one-timer position because his shot was gone. But it seems that was simply a mistake. On Sunday night, Matthews’ shot looked like it returned from the depths of the abyss. Matthews got a couple of good looks, including one where he nearly took Simon Edvinsson’s foot off.
The team has gone back to moving the puck around, trying to set up Matthews’ shot. That’s a huge shift from trying to get point shots through and hoping for deflections and rebounds. Moving the puck has resulted in better looks and, of course, goals.
By allowing Matthews to get the one-timer, opponents have to defend against it. As such, that opens up other spots for said rebounds and deflections. The return to basics has essentially added more dimensions to the waning Leafs’ power play.
Ultimately, the Maple Leafs were rewarded with a goal by Matthew Knies against the Red Wings. The Leafs’ three power play goals in the last two games bode well for the area that has been the team’s weakest link.
Coaching change a wake-up call for Maple Leafs
The coaching change last week served as a wake-up call for the entire team. While the change seemed rather minor, it seems to have had a profound effect on the overall club. In particular, the jolt on the power play could be a harbinger of a more profound turnaround.
The Leafs made the biggest change they could make in-season. It’s a testament to how small tweaks can lead to major outcomes. Now, I’m not advocating that everything is fine now and the Leafs will win the Cup. But what I am saying is that someone had to get called to the principal’s office. That someone was Savard. It was a warning shot across the bow.
It seems the team has heeded that warning shot. At least for now, the Leafs have played three good games, even with the sloppy performance against the Senators.
Now, the time has come for the team to continue building on that momentum. The pieces are there. The only thing truly missing is consistency.