The Toronto Maple Leafs have survived quite nicely without captain Auston Matthews, who missed nine games with an upper-body injury.
The Maple Leafs (14-7-2) went 7-2-0 during the absence of Matthews, who had 107 points last season, including an NHL-best 69 goals. The Leafs used the absence of their No. 1 center to climb the Eastern Conference Standings. They have the best points percentage (.652) in the Atlantic Division, ahead of the Florida Panthers (.620), who are the defending Stanley Cup champion and sit in first place in the division, one point ahead of the Maple Leafs having played two more games.
In fact, Toronto is third in the Eastern Conference when it comes to points percentage and sixth in the League.
Who has stepped to the fore while Matthews has been sidelined? Who is most responsible for the lofty position the Maple Leafs occupy just after the quarter mark of the season?
We asked seven writers, and here are their candidates ahead of Toronto’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday (7:30 p.m. ET; TVAS, Prime, CHSN).
Craig Berube
The Maple Leafs needed a change in mentality. Everyone knew they could score. Everyone also knew they were vulnerable to giving up goals, to the point of being easy to play against at times. It was their downfall in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Craig Berube came in with the goal of making the Maple Leafs harder. They’re tough enough, but they needed to be harder to play against. They needed to limit shots, protect the front of the net, buy into the notion that a good offense starts with an elite defense. That has become more of the Maple Leafs’ identity under Berube. They’re giving up less but still generating enough. They didn’t have Matthews for nine games; they lost just twice and allowed 2.00 goals per game. Proof. The 5-4 game has become the 3-2 or 4-3 game. The Maple Leafs are playing a brand of hockey that can translate into playoff success. They’re buying what the coach is selling. — Dan Rosen, senior writer
The goalies
Sometimes, two goalies are better than one. That’s certainly been the case for the Maple Leafs, who are getting the benefits of the work Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll have been doing in net. Stolarz is 7-4-2 with a 2.33 goals-against average, .921 save percentage and one shutout in 13 starts, and Woll is 6-2-0 with a 2.13 GAA, .923 save percentage and one shutout in eight starts. They’re a big reason why the Maple Leafs are third in the NHL in goals allowed per game (2.61). And their goaltending is the last line of defense on the penalty kill (81.5 percent), which is eighth in the League. It’s been a great combination for the Maple Leafs
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