New Stat Indicates Major Problems for the Toronto Maple Leafs
Photo credit: Imagn Images
The NHL Playoffs are underway and with the Toronto Maple Leafs playing the Ottawa Senators in the first round, there is a whole lot to dissect right now.
Last night, the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Ottawa Senators in Game 2 of their first round series and while the game was close, there is no doubt that the Leafs were the better team at the start of the game.
The Senators were pressing quite a bit towards the end of the game and they were able to tie things up before Max Domi got the game-winner.
Having said that, a lot of ink has been spilled about how the Senators have dominated the Leafs at times, especially at 5-on-5 and especially when Toronto has the lead.
Toronto Maple Leafs dominate blocked shots
In fact, it was revealed after the game by reporter Luke Fox that the Maple Leafs ended up blocking 32 shots while the Senators only blocked a total of six.
While this sounds great, it does speak to an unsustainable trend which is the fact that defenseman like Chris Tanev are being asked to lay the body way too much.
Furthermore, the shot attempts prove that at numerous points during games, the Leafs are being outplayed. They are letting other teams dictate the chances and that isn't always a good thing.
Of course, the Leafs get early leads which means they are typically going to take their foot off the gas and play further back in their zone.
Desperate teams take more shots and that is definitely something we saw last night in the Senators and Leafs game. But blocking shots at a high rate is something Toronto has done all season.
At some point, your players are going to begin to break down physically and that is not good for anyone involved. It also keeps you from a deep run.
Only time will tell whether or not the Leafs can figure this out and become a more sustainable hockey team as this series progresses.
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 23 | 256 ANSWERS New Stat Indicates Major Problems for the Toronto Maple Leafs Do you believe the Toronto Maple Leafs are on the right track to beating the Ottawa Senators? | ||
| YES | 250 | 97.7 % |
| NO | 6 | 2.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
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