The Toronto Maple Leafs are now 10 games into the 2024-25 regular season and much like the previous seasons, it’s been a mixed bag of results. With some new faces on the roster and a new coaching staff leading the way, it’s clear to see that it’s still a transitional period for this team as they’re 5-4-1.
The Maple Leafs were off to a great start in their first six games going 4-2-0, but have followed that up with three straight losses, two of which were unimpressive to say the least and an overtime loss to the Boston Bruins battling back after losing the lead. Poor reads have been a result of that and the power play continues to be abysmal.
Overall, there have been signs of progress in regards to having a new mindset and mentality. While it may not seem like it, this is a different team from the previous season. If it’s any indication, October is always a rough go, but they do manage to turn things around at this time. Here’s a look at how the Maple Leafs have fared from last season compared to the start of this one.
Defensive Improvements Showing
The biggest thing that was evident in the Maple Leafs’ games last season was their lack of defensive game and ability to defend the front of the net. It really was a concern and it was for most of last season heading into the postseason.
The Maple Leafs’ defensive numbers are slightly under from where they were last year in terms of goals against and shots against. Though let’s not forget that they had three ugly losses to the Columbus Blue Jackets and St. Louis Blues where they allowed 11 goals in two games and were outplayed. Before that game, they actually looked like a completely different team with their coverage and limitation of shots and chances.
Here’s a breakdown of those results from last season to this one.
| Category | 2023-24 | 2024-25 |
| GA/GP | 3.00 (12th) | 3.20 (17th) |
| SA/ GP | 30.3 (16th) | 29.2 (19th) |
| PK | 75.8% (20th) | 80.5% (13th) |
| GF% (5v5) | 45.71 (24th) | 59.52 (6th) |
| HDCA (5v5) | 105 (31st) | 74 (14th) |
| HDGA (5v5) | 13 (28th) | 7 (7th) |
Their overall structure is much better as they’re defending rushes better and not letting attackers get to the middle as easy. They’ve limited their high dangers chances (a decrease of 31) and goals against (six less) from the previous season. That is much in part to new additions like Chris Tanev getting into the lane and Anthony Stolarz making the stops that the team needs him to make.
If there’s another positive to look at, it’s the penalty kill as they’re a top 15 team in the league when down a man. That really wasn’t the case last season as that was a major weakness. The Maple Leafs are doing a better job at being aggressive and smothering and forcing attackers to make a play that doesn’t fall into their game plan. It’s thanks to Lane Lambert’s new system as they’ve done a great job of executing. TSN’s Frank Corrado did a great job to explain the change in their system and formation.