Through thirty-one games the Toronto Maple Leafs are 12-11-7, a respectable record considering how this team has looked in recent history. This up-and-coming team led by their solid veterans and rookie sensations are playing well enough to be slightly over the .500 mark. What if I told you they had the potential to be nine games over .500? Every team has positives and negatives attributed to them and unfortunately for the Leafs there are glaring problems that needs to be addressed. The Toronto Maple Leafs has trouble holding a lead and finishing games and they cannot afford to let this trend continue.
Games where Toronto gave up the lead and lost:
|
Team |
Final Score |
Situation |
| Ottawa Senators
2016/10/12 |
5-4 (OT) |
Gave up 4-3 lead |
|
Winnipeg Jets 2016/10/19 |
5-4 (OT) |
Gave up 4-0 lead |
|
Minnesota Wild 2016/10/20 |
3-2 |
Gave up 2-1 lead |
|
Chicago Blackhawks 2016/10/22 |
5-4 (OT) |
Gave up 4-2 lead |
|
Pittsburgh Penguins 2016/11/12 |
4-1 |
Gave up 1-0 lead |
|
Carolina Hurricanes 2016/11/22 |
2-1 |
Gave up 1-0 lead |
|
New Jersey Devils 2016/11/23 |
5-4 (OT) | Gave up 3-0 lead |
|
San Jose Sharks 2016/12/13 |
3-2 (OT) |
Gave up 2-0 lead |
|
Arizona Coyotes 2016/12/17 |
3-2 (OT) |
Gave up 1-0 lead |
As you can see this is a trend that started on the first night of the regular season. No matter the deficit, teams will find ways to pull it together and come away with a win against the Leafs. In the table above, there are nine games listed where the Leafs were not able to hold onto a lead and lost. So let’s do some math – 9/31=0.290% – while that does not look like a huge number it means that over a quarter of their games played this season were lost in similar fashion. That number does not bode well for Toronto, especially if this continues to happen.
Toronto is a relatively young team, therefore they depend on their young core heavily. Being that they are not the most experienced team, it makes them susceptible to mistakes. From untimely turnovers, to breakdowns defensively, to committing unnecessary penalties; it seems like the Leafs cannot get out of their own way. Coaches often preach “do not beat yourself” to their players and the Leafs seem to be doing the complete opposite of that. There is a lack of discipline when Toronto is in their defensive zone while they have a lead, they occasionally lose themselves fundamentally and are caught out of position defensively.
This is not a case where the onus falls on an individual or a specific line, the whole team needs to be held accountable regardless of who makes the mistake. There are no easy solutions to this problem; Toronto finds itself in a bind with no easy escape. They can make trades to strengthen their roster but risk the budding chemistry on the team. Coach Babcock can try to fiddle with the lines to bolster their defense; but Toronto is still giving up too many goals. The current roster has to improve defensively and once that is accomplished, fans will be able to see the difference in the win column.
At the end of the day; Toronto has to step up in moments when they are leading and finish off their opponents. They are an upcoming offensive juggernaut who seems to be able to score on any team but they need to hold those leads for three periods on a consistent basis. If this trend continues throughout the year, fans should expect Toronto to miss the playoffs again. Conversely if the Leafs are able to overcome this obstacle, fans are in for a pleasant surprise at the end on the regular season.
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