The Toronto Maple Leafs did not have the October they were hoping for. In their first month under new head coach Craig Berube. Some games, which were winnable games, were ultimately lost due to old habits.
The Toronto Maple Leafs will look for a more successful month in November. They will play 12 games in November, seven on home ice and five on the road. From November 5th to 12th, the Leafs will have their longest homestand of the month with four games.
Hopefully, the Leafs will start to play the way Berube wants them to more often now that we're into the second month of the season. We've already seen a fan throw a jersey onto the ice in October, so another month with lackluster results could produce a riot.
November could impact the Leafs standing in the Atlantic Division as they play divisional rivals on six occasions. Losing too many of those games could cost the Leafs later in the season if they're forced to try and make up ground in the standings. Here is what awaits the Leafs in November.
Toronto Maple Leafs: November Outlook
November 2nd: St. Louis Blues
The Toronto Maple Leafs will begin November with a road game against the Blues in St. Louis. It will be the first trip back to St. Louis for the new Leafs head coach, Craig Berube, since they fired him. The Blues beat the Leafs 5-1 on October 24th, so the Leafs should be looking for revenge.
November 3rd: Minnesota Wild
The Leafs will play the Minnesota Wild for the first time this season on November 3rd in Minnesota. There is a 6:00 pm start time for this game, and it is the second half of a back-to-back.
November 5th: Boston Bruins
The Leafs and Boston Bruins last game (October 26th) ended in an overtime loss for the Leafs. They will try to finish on the winning side of the scoresheet on November 5th. Winning every game is important, but even more so when it's against a divisional rival.
November 8th: Detroit Red Wings
The Leafs will host another divisional rival in the Detroit Red Wings on November 8th in the first game of another back-to-back. It should be viewed as a must-win for the Leafs. They need to win as many divisional games as possible.
November 9th: Montreal Canadiens
On November 9th, in the second half of a back-to-back, the Leafs will host the Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens squeezed out a 1-0 victory against the Leafs in the first game of the season. Revenge will be on the menu for the Leafs. This will also be the hockey hall of fame game.
November 12th: Ottawa Senators
In the fourth divisional game in a row, the Leafs will host the Ottawa Senators on November 12th. Once again, this will be the start of another back-to-back set of games for the Leafs. The Battle of Ontario will begin a new chapter.
November 13th: Washington Capitals
On November 13th, the Leafs will be in Washington to play the Capitals. Hopefully, the Leafs will not assist in Alexander Ovechkin's goal-scoring quest and win the game.
November 16th: Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers will be in Toronto on November 16th to play the Leafs. Having Auston Matthews play against Connor McDavid is always entertaining, but McDavid may still be on injured reserve when this game happens. He's listed as being out for two to three weeks.
November 20th: Vegas Golden Knights
The Leafs will host the Vegas Golden Knights on November 20th. As one of the top teams in the Pacific Division, the Golden Knights will not be an easy opponent for the Leafs.
November 24th: Utah Hockey Club
On November 24th, the newly branded Utah Hockey Club will make its first trip to Toronto to play the Leafs. Utah is hoping to find more success than they did in Arizona as the Coyotes. Hopefully, they won't find success against the Leafs.
November 27th: Florida Panthers
The Leafs will begin their annual trip through the state of Florida with a game on November 27th against the Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers. It will be a heated battle as this divisional rivalry continues to grow.
November 30th: Tampa Bay Lightning
The Leafs will end the month of November with the second game of their Florida road trip on November 30th against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Thanks to a few battles in recent playoffs, these two teams don't like each other. The Leafs beat the Lightning 5-2 on October 21st. Hopefully, they can do it again.