The Maple Leafs Don’t Need More Physical Play to Win in 2022-23

This post began by reacting to fans thoughts that the Toronto Maple Leafs are simply too small and too soft to win a Stanley Cup. I don’t buy it, but I know many Maple Leafs’ fans truly believe this team’s physical makeup militates from winning during the postseason.

They might be right, but I don’t think being a bigger, stronger, more physical team is enough to win the Stanley Cup. You can beat on the other team all night long, but they can still score on the powerplay with your physical monsters watching from the penalty box.

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The Maple Leafs Are Not a Perfect Team, Just a Good One

It’s pretty clear to many Maple Leafs’ fans that the roster is not perfect. I get it. The team could benefit from a genuine power forward who can muscle his way into a scoring position and move opponents out of the way. At the same time, a big-bodied physical defenseman would be nice as well to clear his own goalie’s net from invaders.

A couple of good hard-nosed physical players couldn’t hurt. But what is the balance that a team needs to win during the postseason? A team of monsters won’t do it.

Winning During the Postseason Is Simple, Score More Points Than Your Opponents

No one will argue that the Maple Leafs’ strength is in its offense. The problem has been getting the goal that breaks the postseason’s camel’s back. How many times has it been that just one goal – a single well-placed shot – would have moved this team onto the next round of the playoffs?

Still, a portion of Maple Leafs’ fans believes this team is too small and too soft to play the kind of physical game that wins during the postseason. They want to load up on muscle and are willing to dispense with some of the team’s skilled players to do so.

But getting rid of skill hurts the team’s goal-scoring. Even if you can keep lots of pucks from your own net, you still have to score some goals. The Maple Leafs have scoring players like Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and others.

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Big Physical Players Alone Can’t Win Stanley Cups

Perhaps fans are right that the team needs to dump skill for muscle. But it doesn’t make complete sense to me. However, I believe there’s a danger that a team could go off to excessively replace talent with grit. If the team is to achieve playoff success, the simple view is that you need to put more pucks in your opponent’s net than they put in yours.

Scoring isn’t enough by itself to win games. Teams still must play defense. You need David Kampf and others like him. You also need a goalie who can stop pucks at the right time. In fact, everything must work together toward that end – the defense, the goalie play, and of course the offense.

Muscle alone just won’t do it. Being able to stand up to opponents isn’t what wins hockey games. Scoring and defense does.

What Do Stanley Cup Winning Teams Need?

Teams that win during the postseason need to be quick on the ice and turn misplays into advantages going your way instead of against you. That’s why Alex Kerfoot is a benefit to the team. You need to have excellent skating. You need to out-quick the opponent.

Yes, if you want to have success in playoffs, you need a bit more muscle. You need Nicolas Aube-Kubel. You also need Mitch Marner and his excellent play-making. But perhaps mostly you need a team that is committed to doing all the little things right all of the time – good forechecking, not allowing odd-man rushes, not giving up turnovers, and winning the odd physical battle.

The Maple Leafs Have the Players, Can the Team Put It Together?

Mostly, every player has to be on his game. The Maple Leafs have the pieces, can they put it all together this season?

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