Everybody knows that the wild card race in the Eastern Conference in the NHL is going to come down to the wire, but what people may not realize is that the top three teams in the Atlantic Division haven’t separated themselves in that race either.
Even the Maple Leafs, who sit atop of the Atlantic right now with 74 pts. And it’s not to say the Leafs haven’t been good, they’re in first place in the Atlantic Division with a 36-20-2 record, good for fifth overall, while also having a .621 winning percentage, good for fourth in the league. But the Eastern Conference this year has been one step better, meaning the Leafs, who have been good to great all season long, still only sit 10 points up on the last wild card spot and 12 points from being out of the playoffs. What seemed to be a little four-game road trip turned crucial, with the chance to separate themselves from the wildcard race and focus on trying to win the Atlantic Division for, shockingly, the first time ever since the division was formed in 2013-14 (unless you count the 2020-21 season where they won under the Canada or North Division title name).
Coming out of the 4 Nations Face-Off the Maple Leafs looked sharp in their lone home game against the Carolina Hurricanes winning 6-3, before packing up and heading on the road. This was shocking considering their superstars like Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, who had played just 48 hours prior in the biggest game of their careers up to this point not only played but played well. With two games already done on this road trip, the team has taken care of business, beating the Chicago Blackhawks 5-2 before rolling into Boston to beat the Bruins 5-4 to collect all four possible points.
Let’s talk about that Bruins game for a second, because that game may be looked back on as the game the Leafs turned the corner and learned how to really win. Yes, they’ve had comeback wins before, even three-goal comeback wins, but this is different. Usually when the Maple Leafs are trailing against the Bruins, in Boston by three goals, it’s over for this group. Not this year. In four games vs. the Bruins, he has three goals and 12 points, including the overtime winner in their most recent matchup.
To put into context what the Maple Leafs did, per Sportsnet Stats the last time the Toronto Maple Leafs came back from three goals in Boston was Nov. 7, 1963.
That win against the Bruins isn’t just another game, that carries with them… but back to what I was saying, the remaining two games on this road trip against the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins are going to be critical for the Leafs. A chance to collect eight points on this road trip and come out of the break on a five-game win streak is on the line.
Obviously for that to happen you need guys to step up, and they have. Since coming out of the break, all four lines have been on fire with Pontus Holmberg putting up four goals, and five points, Morgan Rielly having a massive game with one goal and three assists and Nick Robertson with three goals and four points over these three games as well. This means one thing, scoring is up. Even though it is a small sample size, in the 55 games prior to the break, the Leafs were averaging 3.07 goals per game, but in the three games out of the break, they’re averaging 5.3 goals per game.
If the Maple Leafs are able to take advantage of the momentum they earned from the Bruins game they will truly be able to separate themselves from the wildcard race and while the rest of the Eastern Conference is beating each other up for two points, trying to make the wildcard spots, the Maple Leafs will be able to play hard, but also keep guys fresh with such a great record.