Maple Leafs Are Struggling, Host Lays Out 2 Fixable Problems

It’s been a frustrating start for Toronto Maple Leafs fans. The losses are piling up, the questions are getting louder, and the fans are growing increasingly impatient. It’s getting hard to find anything to feel good about. As a hockey writer who tends to focus on the positive, it’s hard to find something positive to point to.

But perhaps we’re looking at this team a little too negatively. That’s the argument Sportsnet hockey analyst Justin Bourne makes in his November 11 article, “Maple Leafs Have Problems, But Aren’t This Bad.” After reading his take, I think there’s something worth considering. So I want to share it with readers.

What Is Bourne Saying About the Maple Leafs?

First, Bourne isn’t suggesting fans’ eyes are deceiving them. The Maple Leafs aren’t playing well enough to win. He isn’t suggesting that fans should ignore what’s happening. He’s simply asking us to look beyond the standings for a moment.

But he is making an interesting point. He argues that Toronto has been playing better hockey than its recent record suggests. The Maple Leafs have been playing well enough to stay in many of their games. Deeper analytics show that the team’s underlying five-on-five numbers have improved. In their most recent stretch of games, they weren’t winning. But they were controlling much of the play even when the score looked otherwise.

Perhaps that’s something to feel better about, but it doesn’t put points on the board. And it certainly won’t get the team into the playoffs. Still, his positive look at the team suggests that it isn’t being badly outplayed every night.

Bourne Lays Out Two Problems the Maple Leafs Could Fix

Bourne also points to something most fans are already calling out. It’s hard to overlook the goaltending. Sergei Bobrovsky has struggled, and his numbers have been well below what’s expected of a starting goaltender. Anthony Stolarz, meanwhile, has been considerably better. Head coach Jim Hiller has been trying to get Bobrovsky back on his game, but the team can’t afford to wait indefinitely.

But Bourne points out that, when a team keeps losing close games, small differences matter. For goalies, a timely save can change the result, and Toronto hasn’t been getting enough saves when it needs them.

Bourne points out a second big issue. Injuries have taken key players out of the lineup, and the team doesn’t have the same offensive depth when its top players aren’t available. He specifically points to the loss of Kirill Marchenko. Before he was injured against the Calgary Flames, the team’s record was 7-4-2. Since he’s been out of the lineup, they’re 1-6-0.

Still, Bourne Is Making No Excuses for the Maple Leafs

What I like about Bourne’s argument is that he isn’t making excuses. But he suggests there’s a difference between a team that is genuinely bad and a team that isn’t getting the results its play sometimes deserves. And for fans, that at least gives them hope the current losing streak will end.

So for Maple Leafs fans, maybe it’s worth being a bit more patient with the team. The Maple Leafs have problems, and they need to address them. But as Bourne suggests, the situation may not be as hopeless as the standings make it look.

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