Toronto Maple Leafs – Mid-Season Report Card

With the Toronto Maple Leafs reaching the half way point of their first season with Mike Babcock as their new head coach it seemed a logical point to take stock and evaluate the performance of the team as a whole.

To make it a little easier to analyze, we’ll break the season into 10 game segments and see how the Leafs did in each of those segments.

Games 1 – 10

Montreal 3 – 1 Toronto. Montreal scored 1^st.

Even though the Leafs gave up a goal on the first shot of the season, they carried the play and out-shot Montreal, but ultimately it was Carey Price who made the difference.

Toronto 0 – 4 Detroit. Detroit scored 1^st.

For the second straight game the Leafs allowed a goal on the first shot of the game and never really recovered. This was the Leafs’ first stinker game of the season.

Ottawa 5 – 4 Toronto (SO). Ottawa scored 1^st.

The Leafs stormed back from 3 goal and 1 goal deficits to force overtime but couldn’t find that opportune goal to win this game and ended up losing in the shoot-out.

Toronto 6 – 3 Columbus. Columbus scored 1^st.

The Leafs fell behind early, stormed back to take a 3-1 lead, watched Columbus draw even at 3, and finally scored 3 unanswered goals in the third to secure the first win for Mike Babcock as Leafs coach.

Toronto 1 – 2 Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh scored 1^st.

For the fifth game, the Leafs gave up the first goal and were down 2-0 before they could find the score sheet themselves. Unfortunately, after pulling within a goal Marc-Andre Fleury was the difference.

Toronto 1 – 2 Buffalo (SO). Toronto scored 1^st.

For the first game in the season, the Leafs would score first but be unable to hold the lead and a late third period goal from the Sabres would force overtime and the Leafs would lose in the shoot-out.

Toronto 3 – 5 Montreal. Montreal scored 1^st.

Leafs out-shot Montreal 52-27, but again it was Carey Price who made the difference. The Leafs’ special teams were bad as they went 0-5 on the power play, gave up 1 short-handed, and 2 power play goals.

Arizona 4 – 3 Toronto. Arizona scored 1^st.

Toronto’s special teams gave up 2 power play goals and would fail to convert on either of their 2 power plays.

Toronto 1 – 3 NY Rangers. Rangers scored 1^st.

Toronto would allow a goal from almost centre ice and never really recover from it.

Pittsburgh 4 – 0 Toronto. Pittsburgh scored 1^st.

The second stinker game of the season for the Leafs.

Record 1-7-2.

No need to look any further than the Leafs’ basic underlying stats for the first 10 games to see why their record was 1 Win, 7 Losses, and 2 Over Time Losses:

1.      Goal differential was -10, or exactly -1 goal per game!

2.      Average Save Percentage (SV%) was .876!

3.      Power Play was converting on only 7.4% of their opportunities!

4.      Penalty Kill was only effective 73.7% of the time!

5.      Other team scored the first goal in 9 of 10 games!

The Leafs did not get off to an auspicious start under their new head coach. Even though Mike Babcock came in with a new system and expected the Leafs to play with structure, it seemed as if the Leafs had picked up right where they left off last season when they finished with a dismal 8-30-5 record. As expected, in trying to get comfortable with the new system, the Leafs managed to hang up a couple of stinker games.

On a more positive note. The Leafs out-shot their opponents overall in the 10 games, only allowed their opponents to out-shoot them in 4 of 10 games, and kept their average shots allowed per game to a much improved from last season number of 28.8.

Games 11 – 20

Dallas 1 – 4 Toronto. Toronto scored 1^st.

Special Teams was the difference. Power play was 2-5, the penalty kill was 2-0.

Winnipeg 4 – 2 Toronto. Winnipeg scored 1^st.

A close game as Winnipeg scores a late goal in the third period to take the lead and seals it with an empty net goal.

Detroit 2 – 1 Toronto (OT). Detroit scored 1^st.

Toronto scores a late goal to secure a point, but lose in overtime.

Toronto 2 – 3 Washington (SO).Toronto scored 1^st.

Washington scores with 1 second left to force overtime and Leafs lose in the shoot-out.

Toronto 3 – 2 Dallas. Toronto scored 1^st.

Toronto rallied from 2-1 deficit in third period to win.

Toronto 2 – 1 Nashville (SO). Nashville scored 1^st.

Toronto rallied from 1-0 deficit to force overtime and Leafs win in the shoot-out.

Vancouver 2 – 4 Toronto. Toronto scored 1^st.

Toronto never trailed leading post to post to win.

Toronto 3 – 4 NY Rangers. Toronto scored 1^st.

Toronto rallies from 2 one-goal deficits only to give up game winning goal in last minute.

Colorado 1 – 5 Toronto. Toronto scored 1^st.

Toronto gets all their scoring from special teams – 1 short-handed and 4 power play goals.

Toronto 2 –1 Carolina (SO). Carolina scored 1^st.

Toronto rallies from 1-0 deficit in third period to force overtime and win in a shoot-out.

Record 6-2-2.

Looking at the Leafs’ same underlying stats for their second 10 games explains why the Leafs' record improved dramatically to 6-2-2:

1.      Goal differential was +7!

2.      Average Save Percentage (SV%) was .940!

3.      Power Play was converting on 31.4% of their opportunities!

4.      Penalty Kill was effective 89.7% of the time!

5.      Leafs scored the first goal in 6 of 10 games!

With a record of 6-2-2, the Leafs had a much better second 10 game segment and seemed to be settling in nicely to the new system introduced by Coach Babcock. Two things seemed to be absent, the disturbing trend from the first 10 game segment of giving up the 1^st goal and any stinker games – though the 4-2 loss to Winnipeg was close.

On a less than positive note. The Leafs were out-shot by their opponents overall in the 10 games, were out-shot by their opponents in 8 of 10 games, and saw their average shots allowed per game balloon back up to a less than respectable 33.7 shots per game.

Games 21 – 30

Toronto 0 –2 Boston. Boston scored 1^st.

Boston scores late in the third period and adds an empty net goal to seal the win.

Boston 4 – 3 Toronto (SO). Boston scored 1^st.

Toronto rallies from a 2 goal and 1 goal deficit to force overtime but lose in the shoot-out.

Washington 4 – 2 Toronto. Washington scored 1^st.

Toronto rallies from 2 one-goal deficits only to give up 2 power play goals to lose it.

Edmonton 0 – 3 Toronto. Toronto scored 1^st.

Toronto gets a power play goal and an empty-net goal.

Toronto 1 – 6 Winnipeg. Toronto scored 1^st.

Toronto gets an early goal but have no answer for Winnipeg who scores 6 unanswered goals!

Toronto 0 – 1 Minnesota. Minnesota scored 1^st.

Toronto tightens it up after blow-out at Winnipeg but is unable to score.

Toronto 4 – 1 St. Louis. St. Louis scored 1^st.

St. Louis scores first, but Toronto scores 4 unanswered goals in their most dominant game of the year.

New Jersey 2 – 3 Toronto (SO). New Jersey scored 1^st.

Toronto gives up goal 1:24 into first period but rallies to take 2-1 lead before NJ scores to force overtime.

Tampa 5 – 4 Toronto (OT). Tampa scored 1^st.

Toronto gives up goal 2:59 into first period but rallies to take 3-1 lead before Tampa scores 3 unanswered goals to take 4-3 lead only to have Toronto tie it up to force overtime.

San Jose 5 – 4 Toronto (OT). San Jose scored 1^st.

Toronto gives up goal 2:01 into first period but rallies from 2-0 deficit to take 4-2 lead before San Jose scores 2 unanswered goals to force overtime.

Record 3-4-3.

Once again, the Leafs’ basic underlying stats for the third 10 game segment explains why their record regressed to 3-4-3:

1.      Goal differential was -6!

2.      Average Save Percentage (SV%) was .905!

3.      Power Play was converting on 12.5% of their opportunities!

4.      Penalty Kill was only effective 74.2% of the time!

5.      Other team scored the first goal in 8 of 10 games!

With a record of 3 Wins, 4 Losses, and 3 OTL, the Leafs had a minor regression in their third 10 game segment. Back was the disturbing trend from the first 10 game segment of giving up the first goal and a stinker game versus Winnipeg, a 6-1 loss.

On a more positive note. The Leafs out-shot their opponents overall in the 10 games, only allowed their opponents to out-shoot them in 3 of 10 games, and got their average shots allowed per game back down to a more reasonable 30.2.

Games 31 – 41

LA Kings 0 – 5 Toronto. Toronto scored 1^st.

The score would suggest a Toronto blow-out, but the game was close until the third period when Toronto scored 4 unanswered goals to put it away.

Toronto 7 – 4 Colorado. Colorado scored 1^st.

Toronto gives up another early goal at 2:27 of the first period but gets 3 power play goals and an empty net goal to seal the victory.

Toronto 2 – 3 Arizona. Arizona scored 1^st.

Toronto scores first at 15:09 of the first period but finds themselves down 2-1 after 2 quick goals from Arizona at 15:16 and 15:30.

Toronto 3 – 1 NY Islanders. Toronto scored 1^st.

Another good all-around game from Toronto who score an empty net goal to seal the victory.

NY Islanders 6 – 3 Toronto. NY Islanders scored 1^st.

Toronto gives up another early goal at 2:00 of the first period but after tying it at 1-1, the Leafs have no answer for the Islanders and produce another stinker of a game.

Toronto 3 – 2 Pittsburgh (SO). Toronto scored 1^st.

Toronto fails to hold two separate 1 goal leads but manages to win in a shoot-out.

St. Louis 1 – 4 Toronto. St. Louis scored 1^st.

Toronto gives up first goal but scores 4 unanswered goals on the way to another dominant victory.

Toronto 4 – 0 Anaheim. Toronto scored 1^st.

Another slow start for Toronto but they were able to weather it with stellar goaltending.

Toronto 1 – 2 LA Kings. LA Kings scored 1^st.

A good effort by Toronto on a back-to-back game to keep it close until the third period when the Kings scored 2 goals and hung on for a 2-1 victory.

Toronto 0 – 7 San Jose. San Jose scored 1^st.

A stinker where the Leafs hung their goaltender out-to-dry.

Columbus 3 – 1 Toronto. Columbus scored 1^st.

Even though the score was close and Columbus needed an empty net goal to seal the victory this would definitely qualify as another stinker game by the Leafs.

Record 6-5-0.

The Leafs’ basic stats for the 11 game segment which brought them to the half-way point of their season are less clear as to how the Leafs managed to go 6-5-0 in this segment:

1.      Goal differential was 4.

2.      Average Save Percentage (SV%) was .906.

3.      Power Play was converting on 18.1% of their opportunities.

4.      Penalty Kill was effective 87.0% of the time.

5.      Other team scored the first goal in 7 of 11 games.

6.      Out-shot opponent by average of 2.8 shots/game.

With a record of 6 Wins and 5 Losses the Leafs showed improved play in this 11 game segment but the last two games – a 7-0 blow-out stinker to San Jose followed up by the loss to Columbus to end the segment portended a few worrying signs, mainly their inability to have an answer to anything San Jose did and being lifeless in their loss to Columbus.

On a more positive note, overall in this 11 game segment, the Leafs out-scored and out-shot their opponents. The Leafs’ penalty kill was effective 87% of the time and their power play converted on almost 19% of their attempts.

Games 1 – 41

Record 16-18-7.

After the dumpster fire that ended last season, the Leafs’ record of 16-18-7 for the first 41 games of their first season under new head coach Mike Babcock could be considered somewhat of a success – almost a .500 record and signs of improved play.

As with all teams, there were both positives and negatives to be found throughout the Leafs’ first 41 games.

On the negative side:

1.      Goal differential was -10.

2.      Average Save Percentage (SV%) was .906.

3.      Other team scored the first goal in 28 of 41 games!

4.      Giving up the first goal on the first shot of the game!

5.      Giving up the first goal very early in the game!

6.      Power Play gave up 5 short-handed goals.

7.      Average shots/game of 30.9.

8.      Face-off Won % was only 48.

On the positive:

1.      Power Play was converting on 18.1% of their opportunities.

2.      Penalty Kill was effective 80.6% of the time.

3.      Overall, out-shooting opponents.

As explained many times by Leafs management, both before and during the season, there would be pain. A record of 16-18-7 after 41 games doesn’t seem too painful, especially when signs of improved play are thrown into the equation. But as coach Babcock reminds us, the standings don’t lie and the Leafs were sitting firmly ensconced in the bottom three at the mid-point of their season.