Toronto Maple Leafs perfect start
The Toronto Maple Leafs have started the 2010-11 National Hockey League season at a perfect 3-0, which is a long way from the team that failed to win a game in their first seven in 2009-10. Heading into this season the hockey world did not expect much from
the lowly Maple Leafs. There were questions about their goaltending, defence and most of all their offence and special teams. So far this year the Leafs have done a good job of proving the pundits wrong. Of course there are still 79 games remaining in the
schedule. However, that does not mean Leafs fans cannot be excited about where their team currently sits in the standings.
Nevertheless, most Torontonians and Leafs fans worldwide still do not understand who their team has been able to string off three victories in a row. What has changed with the Maple Leafs?
Roster
Although there was a sea-change in personnel this off-season the Leafs failed to bring in a legitimate sniper or all-star. However, general manager Brian Burke was able to acquire some quality depth players. Perhaps more important is the fact that the club
welcomed so many new faces to their ranks this season, which seems to have changed the culture in Toronto. Once a team of entitled veterans the Leafs have become a young team with players battling for roster spots and respect among NHL franchises. Toronto
is very much a new team with a new attitude in 2010-11.
Roles
The 2010-11 Leafs are a team defined by roles. When Burke came to Toronto he stressed the importance of structure, a clear bottom-six and top-six group among his forwards, two lines that were capable of doing the scoring and two lines that did everything
else. This season the Leafs have finally adopted that structure. Most importantly the club has a clear shutdown unit in Tim Brent, Fredrik Sjostrom and Colby Armstrong, who are capable of going up against the other team’s best line and keeping them off the
scoreboard. Conversely, the club’s top line of Phil Kessel, Tyler Bozak and Kris Versteeg only has to worry about putting pucks in the net. Helping the first line achieve their goal is a very effective second line of Clarke MacArthur, Nikolai Kulemin and Mikhail
Grabovski, who have been getting on the score-sheet in regularity, taking the pressure off the first unit.
Special teams
Last season the Maple Leafs were the worst special teams club in the entire league, finishing 30th in both power play and penalty kill. Although the club is not in the top five in power play they do sit 15that 15.4% efficiency. Even
more impressive is the club’s penalty kill, which has been outstanding this season, sitting at 90%. Although it is early there are signs that the club could keep up an impressive pace on the PK. The Leafs penalty killers are totally different than last season.
New additions such as Mike Zigomanis, Brent, Armstrong and Versteeg have been superb on the penalty kill.
Goaltending
Last season the Leafs had the worst goaltending in the entire League, finishing the year with the worst save-percentage and the 29th best goals-against-per-game. This season the net-minders look much more comfortable and Toronto sits fifth in
goal-against-per-game. In addition, a more intangible achievement is the goaltenders ability to make clutch saves. In the two games the Leafs have won by a goal this season both their goaltenders have been tremendous in the final minute. Game-saving saves
was something the Leafs never seemed to receive in 2009-10.
Although it is early in the season Leafs fans should be proud and excited about their team. In Toronto any optimism is often met with sarcastic comments about ‘planning the parade’. However, this time around Leafs fans need to embrace their overachieving
bunch, as the club is off to their best start since 1999-2000.
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