"If you've been following hockey out of the corner of your eye, a 5-5-1 start falls into that "sweet spot" of being underwhelming but not overly concerning. You can look at the Panthers, Lightning, and Oilers as other slow out the gate teams that will eventually figure it out, but the Panthers can count on getting Matthew Tkachuk back, they might get Barkov back for the playoffs, and the Oilers are days away from Zach Hyman boosting their offence."
"Slow and steady wins the draft lottery Okay, so maybe speed isn't everything but the Leafs getting slower than they have in a long time doesn't seem ideal. According to the NHL Edge stats website the Leafs are presently 19th in the league when it comes to 22+ mph speed bursts. They are 27th speed bursts between 20-22 mph, and 27th in speed bursts between 18-20 mph. To put a bow on this narrative, it seems like the Leafs have been coasting this year."
The Maple Leafs began the season 5-5-1 but their record is misleading because they have underperformed against underwhelming competition, playing only the Canadiens and Devils from last season's playoff teams. Competing teams like the Panthers, Lightning, and Oilers have clearer reasons for slow starts due to injuries or imminent roster reinforcements. The Leafs' team speed has declined, ranking 19th in 22+ mph speed bursts and 27th in both 20-22 mph and 18-20 mph categories according to NHL Edge. The current metrics indicate the Leafs appear to be coasting and need to regain pace and urgency.
Read at TheLeafsNation
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