The Toronto Maple Leafs are over three weeks into the regular season. They’ve had some issues but their biggest problem is the power play. It’s been an issue dating back to the end of last season. This year, the Maple Leafs have brought in a new coaching staff. Including the addition of Craig Berube as head coach, Marc Savard is one of his assistants and is in charge of the Leafs’ power play. Savard was also a part of Berube’s staff with the St. Louis Blues the season after they won the cup. In that 2019-20 season, the Blues finished third in the NHL in power-play percentage.
He was a great power-play scorer and specialist during his playing days. In the 2000s, he dominated on the man advantage with both the Atlanta Thrashers and the Boston Bruins. However, Savard can’t be happy with the start the Leafs have had on the PP. The former Stanley Cup champion may have to resort to new ideas and be open to changing things.
Running the Numbers for Toronto’s Power Play
Right now, the Maple Leafs are the sixth-worst team in the NHL when it comes to their conversion on the power play. On 27 opportunities with the man advantage, the Leafs scored three times. That equates to 11.11% on the season. Auston Matthews, John Tavares, and William Nylander are the only scorers. Mitch Marner has assisted on all of those goals. With all the talent on the top power-play unit, it’s evident there is some criticism about how it’s gone for the Leafs. The top unit is worth more than $50M against the salary cap, yet there are only three power-play goals to show for it.
That’s not all the bad for Toronto, the numbers get worse. Going back to back half of last season, the stats don’t get much better. Dating back to Feb. 27, the Maple Leafs power play percentage is at 10.7%. It went 13-for-121 in what’s been 33 straight regular season games. The man advantage is meant to give the upper hand to the team in favour. Before the Leafs found themselves in this terrible spell, they had a great power play. The seven games before Feb. 27 of last year, the Leafs were on a seven-game winning streak. In those seven games, the Maple Leafs scored 10 power-play goals.
The reason they were able to go on that run was because of the success of the PP. Without the ability to score on the power play, it’s tougher to win games. In the final game of that streak, the Leafs beat the Colorado Avalanche 4-3 with a game-winning power-play goal from Tyler Bertuzzi. That’s how close the margins are and why the power play is so important.
What’s Going Wrong?
When the power play has a dry spell like the Leafs have now, it’s normal for coaches to come to the idea of changing things. However, considering how things are transpiring in practice, it doesn’t seem like Berube will exercise that idea. In practice on Friday, the Leafs rolled out the same two units and worked on it. Berube is doing this because he believes that he sees progress with those units.
“What I’m seeing in the last four games is the chances … Now, in saying that, you gotta produce,” Berube said. “A lot of times you just switch it up to switch up, but I see progression in the right direction.”
The players seem to agree with the head coach. Marner, who has the most power-play points on the team, said they just need to be patient.
“Analytic-wise, we’re doing a lot of great things, so just be patient with it, know it’s coming,” Marner said. “Just be a little cleaner on our entries, a little cleaner with our puck play, be a little more direct. But those 2nd opportunities, we have to be better around those.”
The 27-year-old makes a great point about needing to improve on zone entries. Lately, Toronto hasn’t been great in trying to enter the offensive zone on the PP. There seems to be little chemistry between the players as they almost bump into each other at the blue line. If not that, they’re handicapping each other with weak, inaccurate passes. It’s unclear why they struggle with the puck and making plays with each other given their skill and how long most of the top unit have been teammates. A lot of time is wasted when they’re forced to go back and re-enter the zone. Sometimes the team gets “too cute” as Berube calls it.
Main Photo Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
