When you’ve been watching a team for a while, you’re able to pick up on the little things. Whether that be a modification in line combos, a shift in team morale, or a change in the game of your favourite player. When something is different it jumps out at you. This is exactly how Leafs fans felt when this season began.
Coming into the year, Maple Leafs fans had no idea what to expect. After a very active off-season by management, hopes were high, but based on experience, Leafs Nation knew better than to walk into a season with high expectations. January 13th, as soon as the puck dropped in Toronto it became obvious that this year was going to be something different…. something us young Leafs fans have only heard of from our parents, but have never seen.
Since the core group – Matthews, Marner, Tavares, Rielly, Nylander, Hyman – was put together only a few years ago, we all knew that eventually big things were coming our way. The team has fallen short of greatness since then, but looking at how far they have come even since just last year, it’s hard to deny the potential there is for this season. So, what makes this year different from all others? There’s no one area you can point to as the catalyst, but here’s what has stood out so far from a fan perspective.
- Management
It’s no secret that Kyle Dubas and his team have been on this never-ending hunt for forwards year after year, relentlessly chasing talent that he thinks the team is missing (this never ending chase is a story in and of itself for another day). The truth is, it seems as though Leafs management never really focuses on attaining top-level defensemen, prioritizing forwards and bottom-level D-men that end up being scratched almost every game or traded after a couple seasons. Look at the defensive core over the years. Morgan Rielly has been the lone player that has remained after all the changes, highlighting management’s tendency to sacrifice building a strong defensive core.
After a very active off-season, there was a shift in management’s willingness to expand their search, bringing in 2 very dependable top-level defensemen in T.J Brodie and Zach Bogosian. Even with these acquisitions, Leafs defense is still not where it should be or where we want it to be, but it has become clear that there was a lot of effort in the off season put into making the defensive core stronger. What does this mean? Well, put simply, it shows Dubas has finally acknowledged the ongoing issue this team has with defense and they are trying to fix it.
- Coaching Staff
From 2015-2019, the Maple Leafs went through 3 coaches, starting with Randy Carlyle and ending with Mike Babcock. During that period, each coach has been unable to make anything of the star roster that has been provided to them. Enter Sheldon Keefe. There was a lot of speculation as to whether he was the right fit for the team, having no NHL experience and being handed the keys to an organization which had seen nothing but unmet expectations of late. Although his first season as head coach was another frustrating one, this year looks different for him and the rest of his staff. How? For starters, the Leafs powerplay is among one of the best in the league – huge credit to Manny Malhotra there. Aside from that, his fresh perspective and willingness to work player feedback into his systems has allowed the team to properly integrate all the new acquisitions seamlessly. Keefe has a different approach to coaching that we haven’t seen in the past, and it looks as though it’s going to pay dividends for the organization this season.
- Forwards
Forward depth is something this team has never been able to properly balance in previous seasons, at least not in the way we’re seeing this year. The team had leaned heavily on the top six to provide the offense on a nightly basis while the bottom 2 lines were mere ‘fillers’ – if you look back to previous Maple Leaf rosters, you will know exactly what I am referring to.
So far this season, it’s become clear that when this team gets going there is no stopping them, from the top line all the way through the roster. After just 14 games, there’s been 8 goals from the bottom 2 lines, and they have been a part of 24 goals (including goals and assists) out of the 52 scored to date. Not to mention, there are also endless line combos we have seen already. No matter what 3 players are put together; opportunities are generated every time. Wayne Simmonds has travelled from the bottom line to the second line; Ilya Mikheyev has bounced from the second to third; Barabanov, Engvall, Petan, Boyd, and Anderson have all been able to jump into the lineup when requested and produce something, even if it’s just a few hits. All these changes are made every game, and they occur almost seamlessly, demonstrating the chemistry that exists among the players on this team.
- Defense
Probably the biggest difference noticed when the Leafs stepped on the ice for their first game this season was the defense. Why was this so noticeable? The obvious answer is that it’s because it has been the team’s Achilles heel for what seems like an eternity. Thankfully, this year there is a very clear message that the defensive strategy is going to change. The increased structure, more efficient pairings, and the push to be more offensive that we are currently observing are all things that have been absent in the past. Take Justin Holl for example who has looked like a completely different player on the ice this season. He has been making his presence known every game, whether that be scoring a goal, making an assist, blocking shots, or throwing hits. Need more proof? There’s also Morgan Rielly. We all know last season was not his best, but he has been showing all of us that he has something to prove and has returned to his old self – jumping into the play more often and making an impact each game. At the end of the day, it is apparent that the Maple Leafs defenders have been working to become one of the best in the league.
- Team Morale
One of the major parts of a team’s success comes from the overall morale and attitude between players and coaching staff both on and off the ice. With this new found swagger, it’s a stark contrast to the previous iterations of this team. Not even the 2012-13 Leafs team – the Kessel, Bozak, Lupul era – when we thought they were at their peak, matches up to what we have now.
This season, it feels like the dark cloud that was once hovering over this organization has finally dissipated. What can Leafs fans accredit this to? There are 2 possibilities. One is that we have finally achieved the perfect balance of youth and veteran players, bringing the fun and the discipline necessary to just be a happy team. The second possibility is that there are tons of players on the team that have decided to step up as leaders. It is no longer just captain Tavares willing to speak up, it’s also Matthews, Marner, Hyman, Rielly, Thornton, and Spezza that have decided to take a larger role on the team.
The bottom line here is that this Maple Leafs team is just different, and changes are constantly being made to improve the team and ensure that this season is unlike any other. Let’s hope all these differences actually do make the impact we all have been desperately waiting for.
-Antonia Ammendolia
Twitter: @TheHockey_Chick