"The second loss came at the hands of a Carolina team that was missing half its defense but thoroughly dismantled the Leafs. The score indicated a one-goal game, but the flow of the play was entirely one-sided. Carolina finally took the lead with just under eight minutes left, and yet the Leafs never recorded a shot on net afterward. Even while trailing, the Leafs couldn't get out of their zone."
"They are 8-7-1 on the season with a minus-one goal differential. Their .531 points percentage sits sixth-last in the conference, and it would not have been good enough to qualify for the playoffs last season (Montreal was the eighth seed at .555, and in the west, Calgary missed with .585). There's plenty of time for their record to move drastically up or down, so there's no issue there; time is still very much on their side."
"There are almost no signs of five-on-five progress in the Leafs' game so far. They sit 26th in five-on-five the Leafs' contention status depends on five-on-five improvement Corsi, although they're reasonable-ish 17th in expected goals percentage. They own the third-best shooting percentage in the league so far, and the third-worst save percentage. The team scores plenty (fifth in the league in goals per game), gives up plenty (31st), doesn't possess the puck much, and is middling at controlling scoring chances."
The Leafs lost both games of a home back-to-back after a strong recent stretch, including a loss to an undermanned Boston and a one-sided defeat to Carolina. The team sits 8-7-1 with a minus-one goal differential and a .531 points percentage that ranks near the bottom of the conference. Five-on-five play shows little improvement, with poor Corsi placement despite middling expected-goals standing. The roster combines high shooting percentage and low save percentage, scores at a strong rate, concedes at a high rate, and currently relies on improving special teams to compensate.
Read at Maple Leafs Hotstove
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