Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Simon Benoit, right, and goalie Joseph Woll defend their goal area against Ottawa Senators forward Josh Norris at Scotiabank Arena on Nov. 8.Dan Hamilton/Reuters
The numbers are just as ugly as the Maple Leafs’ play.
Five losses in the past six games. Third-most goals allowed in the NHL and 17 in the past three games. Just three victories in regulation time and three in seven home appearances. Seven short-handed goals in the past half-dozen outings.
It adds up to fifth place in the Atlantic Division. This from a team that aspires to go deep into the playoffs.
The latest stinker was a lopsided loss to the Senators on Wednesday. In it, Joseph Woll allowed six goals on 27 shots. He is Toronto’s most reliable goalkeeper. Ilya Samsonov’s save percentage – .855 – is lower than Jack Campbell’s, and he was just banished by Edmonton to Bakersfield, Calif.
There is no room here for anyone to feel smug about it: “Ha ha, look what happened to that bum Campbell.” Look in the mirror instead.
It is too early in the season to be at a crossroads unless you are the struggling Oilers. But something is definitely wrong with the Maple Leafs, who play at Scotiabank Arena on Friday against the Flames and Saturday versus the Canucks.
Calgary started terribly but now has just two fewer wins than Toronto. Vancouver has become relevant again – cruising along at 9-2-1 with a game on Thursday evening in Ottawa.
For the most part, Toronto is used to a slow start. But this is different. From one day to the next it is hard to tell if Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde will show up. Too often it has been the latter. It is not just one part of its game that isn’t going well, it is many things.
“Some of it is collective, some of it is individual, some of it is structure and some of it is being committed to it,” Sheldon Keefe, the Maple Leafs’ coach, said after the latest 6-3 defeat. He spoke quietly and directly, like a guy who is not having a lot of fun. Picture Buck Showalter as a hockey coach.
“We celebrate guys who score big numbers but we don’t talk enough about what we give up,” Keefe continued. “That is the reality. We have to prioritize keeping the puck out of the net.”
Toronto has used nine different defenceman thus far. Just three – Morgan Rielly, T.J. Brodie and Simon Benoit – are plus on the plus-minus scale. John Klingberg has always been considered an offensive defenceman but he looks totally lost. He is minus-eight.
“This is different than some of the things we have gone through in the past,” Keefe said. “We have to pull together to keep pucks out of our net. It is out of control.”
Some things, of course, are going right. William Nylander has extended his franchise-record season-opening points streak to 13 games. Auston Matthews leads the league with 13 goals. Mitch Marner and John Tavares continue to be good. Beyond them and Rielly, it is pretty much meh.
New players who were heavily counted on have yet to scratch the surface. Some have had good track records so it is a bit of a head scratcher. Max Domi and Tyler Bertuzzi have started to show they have a pulse but they don’t have to do a heck of a lot for it to be considered better.
Friday’s game will be an emotional one for Brad Treliving, the Toronto general manager. It is the Flames’ only visit here this year, and Treliving and everyone else within their organization is mourning the death of Chris Snow. He was Treliving’s assistant GM in Calgary and died recently from complications related to ALS.
Saturday’s meeting with the Canucks could go sideways quickly. They have scored more often than any team in the NHL. With Toronto’s defensive failures, it looks like it would be a bad matchup.
“It is time to pull things together here,” Keefe said. “Our group deserves better. Our fans deserve better.”
Maybe the Maple Leafs aren’t following instructions. Or maybe they just aren’t good enough.