The Toronto Maple Leafs have had a rollercoaster season. But in the past three weeks, their resurgence has put them back in the playoff conversation. Here's what's helped them turn around their year.
The Toronto Maple Leafs were at their low point right before Christmas.
They lost three straight games and five of six, dropping their record to 15-15-5.
But as the buzzards began circling them, a funny thing happened to the Leafs – they pulled together as a group, got their collective head on straight, and won seven of their next nine games, not losing in regulation in that span.
Now, Toronto has won five of six games, including impressive wins over the New Jersey Devils, Florida Panthers, and Philadelphia Flyers. They're only one point out of a playoff spot heading into Monday's games, with two games in hand on the Washington Capitals, which sit in the East's second wild-card spot.
So, what changed for the Maple Leafs – other than the firing of assistant coach Marc Savard and the hiring of his replacement, Steve Sullivan? Well, a few things.
For starters, Toronto's power play drastically improved.
The Leafs' power play, whose woes ultimately led to Savard's firing, is clicking at 36 percent since Dec. 22, ranking third in the NHL in that span. They're now up to 23rd in power-play percentage this season at 17.3 percent, which shows just how much they struggled when they ranked last in that department.
The Buds' penalty kill is also now the league's third-best at 85.3 percent, just a fraction worse than the penalty kill of their opponents on Monday, the Colorado Avalanche, at 85.6 percent. Toronto was at 83.2 percent and in sixth place before its hot streak, in which they've killed 95.2 percent of their penalties.
As we all should know by now, special teams can be the difference between winning and losing, and the Maple Leafs' PP and PK have done yeoman's work to help them turn the tables.
Their scorers up and down the lineup have also turned the tables.
Superstar center Auston Matthews has gotten back on track, posting seven goals and 12 points in his past seven games to give him 21 goals and 35 points this season. But Toronto's supporting cast has also put forth terrific efforts.
Right winger Matias Maccelli has three goals and seven points in his past nine games. Center Nicolas Roy has five assists and six points in his past eight games. Right winger Nick Robertson has four goals and eight points in his past eight games, and right winger Max Domi has six assists and eight points in his past nine games.
It took some time for Toronto to get contributions from its secondary offensive players, especially off-season acquisitions Maccelli and Roy, but they're getting it now, and the Maple Leafs are thriving because of it.
Also a factor in the Buds' resurgence is the play of their defense corps. Despite losing key component Chris Tanev long-term, their blueliners have largely risen to the challenge. While you have to give credit to veteran waiver claimee Troy Stecher in particular, the Maple Leafs' defensemen have been led by veteran Jake McCabe.
McCabe, 32, is far and away Toronto's top player in the plus/minus category at plus-26. And he's averaging 21:56 of ice time – a full two minutes more than his career average of 19:56 – while chipping in 16 points in 42 games, which puts him on a pace to beat his current career high of 28 points.
You can make the case that McCabe has been one of the Leafs' most valuable players this year, and his snarly demeanor and no-nonsense game are exactly what Toronto needs more of.
And think – we haven’t even mentioned Toronto's goaltending.
But we should, as starter Joseph Woll (.921 save percentage, 2.52 goals-against average) and current backup Dennis Hildeby (.916 SP, 2.75 GAA) have given the Leafs a chance to win regardless of their opponent. Being without veteran Anthony Stolarz has hurt the Buds, but Woll and Hildeby are having above-average runs. And at a time when many NHL teams have trouble just getting one of their goalies to generate strong performances, the Maple Leafs are getting them from two netminders.
All in all, the Leafs have been succeeding because they’re getting clutch performances up and down the lineup. Just about every Maple Leafs player is doing their part, and although their current win streak won't last forever, the Leafs have put themselves back in the Stanley Cup playoff conversation.
If they can continue receiving elite-level play from their players, the Maple Leafs will make their fans forget their early-season woes.
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