The Toronto Blue Jays coming within a whisker of the World Series had the nation distracted, and the Maple Leafs’ rough start flew under the radar. David Alter shines a light on a troubling run of form at the Scotiabank Arena.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are up to their usual October woes. And while they probably won’t admit it, they are likely happy that there are no more games left in the month after going 5-5-1.
The record on its own wasn’t anything to get concerned about, but rather how the team has looked. Defensively, Toronto had allowed the most zone rushes in the league so far this season. The forward lines have been in a continuous blender. And their best players haven’t been able to consistently carry the games.
The good news is, they didn’t feel much heat. The Toronto Blue Jays had effectively captured the attention of the entire Toronto sports market. Before Toronto’s 6-3 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday, Craig Berube talked about the attention the baseball team was getting during this unexpected run and if they were feeling less pressure.
“Well, it’s deserving. The Jays are in the World Series. There’s only one team in Canada,” Berube said. “Canada’s focused on that right now, in my opinion, especially Toronto, which is the right thing.”
The Blue Jays miracle run came to a close on Saturday after a dramatic 5-4 loss in extra innings to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7 of the World Series. And just like that, the spotlight shifted. At the same time, the Leafs, without William Nylander, were able to pull out one of their best games of the season.
It’s an old tale, but it’s still kind of funny how it works. The Leafs have historically had mediocre Octobers, only to figure it out at the flip into November. Naturally, in their first game of November, they defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 5-2 in rather convincing fashion.
Easton Cowan scored his first NHL goal. Playing on a line with John Tavares and Bobby McMann, the rookie appears to have found a groove. In the same game, Auston Matthews (No. 34) looked like the superstar of old. His temporary linemate, Nick Robertson, had a similar deadly shot, helping Toronto pick up that win.
The team may also be getting a boost from incoming help. Scott Laughton could return soon from a lower-body injury that has kept him out all season long. He’s practiced with the team, and while he would have loved to play against the Flyers the other night, a return this week appears to be imminent.
Given how Toronto has played in recent Novembers, now may be the right time to start hammering some Toronto moneylines over at Bodog.eu
The Leafs also changed up their routine on the road. Following a day off in Philly, they had a full practice, followed by a full morning skate instead of an option. Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube added that a big reason was that the club had not yet won on the road.
Turns out it was the right play. The lack of road games had perhaps contributed to a lack of chemistry.
“It’s all about building relationships,” Max Domi points out. “We love playing at home, certainly being at home with our families and playing in front of our great fans. But I think that’s when you really take a next step forward, is when you have a few days together,” Domi said. “And that’s what it’s all about at this level is building relationships off the ice as fast as you can and come together as quick as you can, because that translates directly onto on-ice success.”
If the Jays would have won the World Series, the Leafs would have likely still taken a back seat to the daily celebrations that would be taking place in Toronto. They were so close. The energy in the town was electric.
Imagine what it would be like if the Leafs got a sniff of a Stanley Cup Final.