Despite a recent slump, the Maple Leafs remain within striking distance of first place thanks to a struggling Atlantic Division and the standings-inflating power of the NHL's 'loser point.'
The Toronto Maple Leafs have struggled recently and currently sit seventh in the Atlantic Division. In any normal year, their recent slide could be seen as a disaster. When the team lost five games in a row—prompting GM Brad Treliving to hold a "state of the team" address at the quarter-mark of the season—things were looking quite grim.
However, following a victory and a subsequent overtime loss, the outlook isn’t quite as bad, even if the Leafs remain near the bottom of the standings.
Why is that? It is largely because the rest of the Atlantic Division is also faltering. The Leafs entered Friday morning seventh in the division, yet they are just four points back of the division lead. That is a gap of only two wins.
How is such a tight race possible as we near the US Thanksgiving holiday? The teams that got off to hot starts have cooled, while struggling teams have rebounded. It has yielded a scenario where the Detroit Red Wings hold the top spot with just a .595 points percentage. That same standing would have them fifth in the Metropolitan Division.
Then there is the "glorious" loser point, awarded for overtime losses since 2001. Per NHL.com, the league is on pace for the most overtime games in its history, which inflates point percentages across the board. This parity makes leapfrogging teams difficult, as opponents continue to accumulate points even when losing.
Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube was asked about his theory regarding the record number of games going to overtime.
“It's an even league. That's my theory,” Berube said. “I used to say it was a 3-2 league. I'm not sure it's a 3-2 league anymore... probably scoring a bit more. But saying that, teams are even. I mean, there's a lot of tight games. There's going to continue to be that way... So overtime is important. We blundered a couple this year already, which we didn't need to.”
The Leafs have dropped three overtime games. While certainly not a large number, when you are only four points out of first, those points mean something.
The Atlantic Division remains a bit of a mess as the Leafs prepare to take on the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre on Saturday. After the Canadiens opened the season winning nine of their first 12 games, they have struggled down the stretch and sit in sixth place, just a couple of points ahead of Toronto.
The way things are going, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see this game go to overtime.
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