The Toronto Maple Leafs always seem to have shaky starts to their year before turning it on in November and climbing to near the top of the NHL Standings. This season looks no different.
The Toronto Maple Leafs started this season with a 6-4-1 record in October, not bad, but not much to be proud of. With Auston Matthews out for most of November as well, expectations were the team would continue their middling start to the year.
But the Leafs rallied around the absence of Matthews en route to a 8-3-1 record in November, now leading the Atlantic Division in points %.
Let's take a look at the team's most notable moments from November, 2024.
Toronto Maple Leafs November Recap
Mitch Marner Shines
Despite being surrounded by contract rumours and constant criticism from the fanbase, Mitch Marner was truly the team's best player in November.
Marner registered a point in every game in November, and the one he didn't, the entire team was shutout. Marner's 19 points led the Leafs, showing how truly valuable he is to this team. More impressively, he has scored two points in eight of the last ten games.
Goaltenders Stay Hot
The Leafs goaltending tandem of Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz has garnered plenty of attention from around the league for their strong play this season, and for good reason.
The duo has helped the Leafs rank tied for third place league-wide in GAA and fourth in SV%. Woll especially was strong in November, going 5-1 with a .929 SV%. Including a shutout over Vegas.
Rookies Make Their Mark
Due to the team's numerous injuries to their forward group, the Leafs were forced to inject two of their top prospects to their everyday lineup. And oh boy, was this a blessing in disguise.
Both Fraser Minten and Nikita Grebenkin have made immediate impacts to this Leafs team and may have secured a spot for the rest of the season. Minten scored his first NHL goal in his first game this season and is now up to three points in four games, and while Grebenkin has yet to record a point in the NHL, his speed and aggressiveness have made him a pleasant addition to the bottom-six.
Also, his iconic post-game interview is quite hilarious, and made him a fan favorite real quick.
Final Verdict:
In short, the team is in a good spot. Winning eight out of twelve games, many without their best player, gives lots of hope going forward.
While I believe the team is still an addition or two away from being a true contender, November was fun to watch and gives me hope for what's next to come.