The Toronto Maple Leafs’ start to the season has been disappointing to say the least. They currently sit second from last in the Eastern Conference, above only the Buffalo Sabres after 20 games. For a team who hasn’t missed the playoffs since 2017, and with such an expectant fanbase, this simply isn’t good enough.
On the face of it, you might think, ‘they must be missing Mitch Marner’s points’, but that’s far from the case. Toronto have scored the fifth most goals in the NHL this season, with 64 points combined from the remaining three of the ‘core four.’ Matthew Knies and Nick Robertson have also stepped up their points-scoring with more time on the ice, with both on pace for career-high points tallies.
The Leafs’ biggest issue is defending their goal. On average, they’ve given up 3.79 goals per game this season, second only to the Blues for most per game. Toronto goalies have a combined save percentage of .883 but haven’t had too much help from those in front of them. When you’re facing over 30 shots per game on average and have the sixth-most giveaways in the NHL, you’re asking for trouble.
Leafs General Manager Brad Treliving addressed the media on Tuesday morning to answer question and to likely relieve some of the pressure on the players from the media. Treliving started by saying the Leafs need to be more “connected” as a team, as he felt disjointed play all around was leading to giving up so many goals. As is always the case in any sport, the head coach will find himself scrutinised when things aren’t going perfectly, but Treliving came to Head Coach Craig Berube’s defence. “I believe fully in Craig and his messaging,” Treliving said. The GM also hinted at a lack of aggression from some players. “What’s important is … committing to the hard parts of the game, and that’s where we’ve fallen off right now,” Treliving said.
Toronto sports fans are not known for their patience, rather for their desperation to see a championship. Perhaps none more so than Leafs fans, and they’ve made their feelings known. A quick scroll through the replies of recent “final score” posts on the team’s X account, and you’ll find adjectives like “awful,” “ridiculous,” and “dumpster fire,” among others. The Leafs are not in a rebuilding phase, they are trying to win a cup now, as proven by their willingness to trade this year’s first-round pick (and forward Fraser Minten) to the rival Boston Bruins for defenceman Brandon Carlo at the trade deadline last year. Tanking is not an option for this organization, and the fans are letting their team know that results on the ice need to turn sooner rather than later. At least tickets are cheaper, for the moment.
After an overtime win Tuesday over one of the few teams with less points than them so far this year, the St Louis Blues, the Leafs are back to at Scotiabank Arena tonight to face the Columbus Blue Jackets, a team with only one more win than the Leafs so far this season. Toronto fans will be hoping they can spark a run of form in the hockey team like the one they’ve seen from their basketball housemates lately.
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