The absence of injured Maple Leafs defenseman Chris Tanev is hurting Toronto, and the former Bruin they acquired last year to help shut down plays is struggling. And Boston knows what it's like to miss a valuable defensive D-man.
To say the Toronto Maple Leafs have missed injured veteran defenseman Chris Tanev is a serious understatement.
Tanev’s calm, calculated presence is a major component of the Maple Leafs’ blueprint for success. Given that Toronto’s goals-against average this year has ballooned from 2.79 to 3.75 this year – going from the eighth-best mark to the second-worst total in the league – it’s obvious that the Buds need Tanev for all the help they can get.
Indeed, the Leafs have averaged 26.22 shots against per game with Tanev in the lineup to 32 shots against per game without him. And without Tanev in action, Toronto hasn't seen much success from their shutdown D-men. That includes Brandon Carlo, who faces his former team, the Boston Bruins, on Tuesday.
Carlo was acquired to be a shutdown player, and yet, he is last on the Leafs in shot-attempt differential at 5-on-5, at minus-52. By contrast, Morgan Rielly leads Toronto in that department, at plus-26. That contract is shocking considering the two players are frequent linemates.
All of Toronto's blueliners have suffered since Nov. 2. Carlo and Rielly are minus-15 and minus-11 in 5-on-5 shot attempt differential, respectively. Jake McCabe is a team-worst minus-45 in that span as well.
The Bruins traded Carlo as part of their retooling efforts last year, yet they are currently ahead of the Leafs in the standings, having won six games in a row.
Boston is thriving in no small part because its own shutdown blueliner – veteran Hampus Lindholm – is a massive difference-maker for them.
In eight games this season without Lindholm in the lineup, the Bruins are 2-6-0. But in nine games with Lindholm in the lineup, Boston is 8-1-0. And in 189 games with Lindholm as a Bruin, Boston’s record is a fantastic 131-40-18. It's no wonder Boston struggled last year, with Jeremy Swayman allowing the most goals of any goaltender, when Lindholm only played 17 games.
It all adds up to specific lessons for the Leafs and Bruins: Tanev can’t hurry back fast enough, Carlo must be significantly better if he doesn't want the Leafs to have buyer's remorse, and Lindholm is a crucial piece of the puzzle for Boston. Shutdown defensemen are hard to come by, and when you do have one, life for your goaltenders will be much easier.
Overall, the Bruins aren’t one of the NHL’s better defensive teams, as their 3.29 goals-against average is 10th-worst in the league. But without Lindholm on the ice, things would be much worse. And the Maple Leafs are clearly far better defensively with Tanev in the lineup than they are without him. Tanev and Lindholm aren’t regarded as star players, but if you asked Leafs and Bruins coaches and management members, they’d tell you how important they are to the bottom line.
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Following Toronto's loss to the Hurricanes on Sunday, Tavares called the team's play immature.
Being a shutdown D-man is a thankless job. When you’re playing well, fans tend to forget you’re there and instead give the lion's share of the credit to the goalie. And when you’re not – well, just ask Carlo how he’s feeling right now. Your struggles can and will often lead to many shots against, and getting back on track defensively is the only way to silence critics.
So don’t underestimate how important defensive defensemen are to your favorite team. Unless they’re playing well, the other components of your team will pale in comparison.
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