The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the NHL’s best Colorado Avalanche in arguably the team’s best game of the season.
The game sent a message to the rest of the league, signaling that the Maple Leafs are getting back to the dominant form they showed last season.
The stunning turnaround comes after the Maple Leafs were pretty much left for dead in a ditch at the Atlantic Division cellar. The bulk of the issues plaguing the team were simply too much to overcome. The lack of scoring, porous defense, and semi-questionable goaltending were only compounded by the insane amount of injuries.
As recently as January 3, the Maple Leafs were in last place in the Atlantic Division with a 19-15-7 mark. They were in a three-way tie with the Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers, with both Ottawa and Florida ahead of the Leafs by virtue of more regulation wins.
That Saturday night, New York Islanders rookie Matthew Schaefer torched the Maple Leafs with two goals, including the overtime winner. Since then, the club has railed off four wins in a row. The jammed-packed Eastern Conference standings have helped the Leafs get back into the first wild card spot, with 53 points.
While some issues, like injuries, remain a topic du jour, there is no question that this is not the same team that hobbled through October, November, and most of December. A switch went off, leading the Maple Leafs to become one of the most dangerous Eastern Conference teams after the New Year.
Maple Leafs Captain Leading the Charge
One of the biggest question marks surrounding the Maple Leafs this season was the seemingly declining play of their captain, Auston Matthews.
Matthews seemed like a shell of his former self. His signature shot had pretty much vaporized. Despite his strong defensive play, he wasn’t fulfilling the role of game-breaker he once had.
Then, it seemed like a switch flipped. Over his last 15 games, Matthews has notched 10 goals and seven assists for 17 points. He has three power play goals, with his shooting percentage hit 16.7%.
That seems to be the big change for the Maple Leafs star. He’s shooting more. He registered nine shots in the game against the Ottawa Senators on December 27. Since then, he’s averaged about five shots a game.
Shooting more seems to have brought the old Matthews back. Even on Monday night, when he only got two shots on the Colorado Avalanche, he ended the night with a goal and an assist.
Heading into Tuesday night’s game against the Utah Mammoth, Matthews is now up to 22 goals and 15 assists for 37 points in 39 games. At this rate, he could end the year with more than 40 goals and inch closer to 80 points on the season for the Maple Leafs.
Goaltending Has Become a Strength Once Again
The other major factor in the Maple Leafs’ turnaround has been goaltending. The tandem of Joseph Woll and Dennis Hildeby has been lights-out for Toronto. Woll has registered a .920 SV%, with Hildeby not far behind at .916.
That’s a remarkable number, considering the awful defense in front of them at times. Even when the defense has been good, the goalies have been the difference. That much was evident on Monday night in Colorado. The Maple Leafs faced the league’s best offense and surrendered just three goals.
Overall, the Maple Leafs have the makings of what could be an outstanding second half. That effort could lead them back into a playoff appearance, potentially causing significant damage come next spring.
Maple Leafs Back in Playoff Spot in Stunning Turnaround