The Toronto Maple Leafs have spent some time in first place in the Atlantic Division lately, and wow, it makes me think this team may claim the crown come April. No, they’re not in first place as I write this, but it’s nothing they can’t come back from and one-up the Florida Panthers, right?
Hey, there’s a lot of reason for optimism right now if you’re a Leafs fan, even if a couple of games haven’t gone the way we’ve wanted them lately. Head coach Craig Berube has been as-advertised, while Mitch Marner and William Nylander look like men on missions.
But, do you know what’s impressed me about the Leafs more than anything else? Yeah, it’s the way they’ve performed defensively. They’re currently allowing under 29 shots on goal through 27 games, or at least that’s the average per game their netminders have faced.
And it shows with their 71 goals against, which, as I write this, is an astounding third in the NHL. I’ll be real: I couldn’t help but laugh at what looked like a patchwork netminder unit, but so far, Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz have played lights-out in the net. Yeah, that’s yet another outstanding sign.
Toronto Maple Leafs have exceeded expectations so far in 2024-25
No, the Leafs haven’t been all-world, though, and it shows up in the scoring realm, where they are 19th in the league with just 80 goals scored, even if some players have stepped up. But losing star player Auston Matthews surely didn’t help, and with him back in action, that number will only rise.
That said, it’s hard to put too much, if any, blame on the Leafs, thanks to Mathews’ absence. Losing a player of his caliber, even with numerous offensive weapons still healthy, will affect the way a team plays their games. It’s akin to if a player like Nathan MacKinnon went down with an injury in Colorado or Connor McDavid in Edmonton.
The team’s overall trajectory just wouldn’t be there in either example. For that, I’ll give the Leafs a solid ‘A-minus’ through their first two months of the 2024-25 season. Should they improve with Matthews back on the ice by the middle of the month, look for that ‘A-minus’ to turn into a resounding ‘A.’
Overall, I’m a fan of what the Maple Leafs have done this season, and they’re a shoo-in to finish in the top three in the Atlantic, if not as division champions. And maybe they’ll exorcise those playoff demons come April 2025, right?