Boston’s Brad Marchand, left, tangles with Toronto’s Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau during Monday’s game in Toronto.Chris Young/The Canadian Press
The grades are in.
It's been almost two months and 22 games of Mike Babcock hockey in Toronto – enough that a few early conclusions can be drawn about what this team is.
What's clear is the Maple Leafs' 6-3-3 run to start this month has completely changed the conversation around the franchise, even if their play in October wasn't nearly as ugly as their record.
Monday's wild, back-and-forth 4-3 shootout loss against the Boston Bruins exemplified how they've done it. This is the first Leafs team in years to play with this much energy and this much structure, making games fun to watch even when there's a talent disparity.
While Toronto is still on pace for only 71 points and a bottom-10 finish, there have been obvious strides made under the new coaching staff.
Keeping in mind the low expectations for a rebuilding year, here's a look at what has worked and what hasn't through the first quarter of the Leafs season.
Goalies
This has been a tale of two netminders.
Jonathan Bernier, anointed the No. 1 out of camp after an iffy preseason, still doesn't have a win (0-7-1) and has lost the starter's role thanks to an .895 save percentage.
When he gets the job back depends on his teammate.
James Reimer has been fantastic – pushing his numbers up among the league-leaders – even if Monday's game was one he would rather forget. Reimer had a 7-3-3 record and .936 save percentage prior to facing Boston in what has easily been one of the best sustained stretches in his career.
Hockey's most unpredictable position has certainly been that in Toronto.
Grade: Reimer, A; Bernier F.
Defence
On the one hand, Morgan Rielly has made solid progress, as he is handling top-pairing minutes as a 21-year-old while trying to grasp an entirely new system under a new coach.
On the other, no one on the Leafs blueline has excelled.
This was a likely trouble spot from the beginning, as there simply isn't a ton of talent here. Even on the second pairing, captain Dion Phaneuf hasn't looked like a $7-million man – despite the decent point total. Matt Hunwick and Jake Gardiner have been up and down.
Other than Rielly and some solid stretches from third-pair rookie Scott Harrington, there hasn't been a lot to love.
Grade: C+
Forwards
The top line of James van Riemsdyk, Nazem Kadri and Leo Komarov has been a good one, generating plenty of scoring chances – and in Komarov's case, unexpected goals. The plucky Finn now has seven after 22 games after scoring the Leafs second goal against the Bruins by crashing the crease.
Tyler Bozak has also been a pleasant surprise, with 14 points in his first 18 games without long-time linemate Phil Kessel.
Overall, however, the Leafs aren't producing a lot of offence, at well under 2.5 goals per game. Part of that is the coaching staff going with two checking lines that have spent a lot of time in their own end.
They need Kadri to breakthrough and make good on all the chances he has generated. And some depth players like P-A Parenteau, Brad Boyes and Shawn Matthias to chip in more, as they have this month.
Grade: B-
Coach
Mike Babcock has come as advertised.
The Leafs are a more structured puck-possession team – although that has been slipping of late. Their special teams are good and beginning to produce better results than they have in years. The Leafs have also generated more scoring chances than they give up.
If there's a criticism, it's that in this developing season Babcock has parked some young players – namely defenceman Frank Corrado – in the press box and heaped minutes on mediocre veterans like Nick Spaling and Roman Polak.
But even that could be viewed as part of a long play, one designed to improve the trade values of veterans Joffrey Lupul, Dion Phaneuf, Tyler Bozak and others while sheltering youngsters from all the losing.
Grade: A-
Management
As mentioned, this is a tricky season to evaluate. It's a new regime – the first real season for president Brendan Shanahan after he cleaned house in the summer – and expectations are low.
And a high draft pick out of this season probably helps more than anything.
But if you take into account a very good 2015 draft, an excellent start for the Toronto Marlies (14-3-1) and promising signs for Babcock and a few young players on the NHL roster, the foundation for a good rebuild is all there.
It remains to be seen how the decision making works with so many outspoken voices attempting to work together – and there have already been rumblings of divisions forming in the front office – but so far, so good.
Grade: B+