After averaging more than three goals a game in the first 15 games of the season, the Toronto Maple Leafs are down to an average of two goals a game over the last ten…a number slightly skewed by 14 goals in three games. Omit those games and they're down to just one goal a game.
In 25 games, they've outshot their opponent only three times and have also allowed their opponent to double up on shots three times. This statistic wasn't a big deal earlier in the season because they were scoring in bunches and winning games. Now that the goals are coming fewer and farther between and they're losing games at a quicker pace, attention turns to why and how to fix it and taking more shots is an easy fix….but you have to actually do it.
Last night, the Leafs took a 5-3 lead into the third period against the Penguins and not only proceeded to take zero shots against them, but allowed one of the highest scoring teams in the league to take 17. I'm sure that's not how they envisioned that third period going, but, in the end, they were lucky to walk away from that game with a point for losing in the shootout.
The new-look Atlantic Division is super competitive and the Leafs have back-to-back games on the road against divisional opponents before they spend the majority of December in the friendly confines of the ACC. Given their inconsistencies as of late, especially on the road, it's easy to say these are must win games, but the reality is that the Leafs are not in the throws of a death spiral. It is not even close to being time to press the panic button.
They've been dealing with a revolving roster as injuries plague the team and while they've been struggling over the past ten games, they're still .500 during that timeframe and five games above that mark overall. The problem isn't that their game has changed drastically over these last ten games, but more that their deficiencies are more glaringly obvious, especially on the defensive side of things and even more so on the penalty kill.
Given last night's zero-shots-in-the-third-period-and-overtime conundrum, taking more shots will be a big focus, but given last night's allowing-a-high-powered-offense-to-take-17-shots-in-the-third-period-and-48-overall issue, so should tightening up the back end. The crazy part is that it's not for a lack of effort. Even though they allowed 48 shots, they also blocked 23 and put up 39 hits.
Heading into their games against Buffalo and Montreal, the key will be to keep it simple. Take more shots and tighten things up defensively. Execution is everything.
Julie
JulieLovesHockey@gmail.com
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