It’s the same old storyline for the Toronto Maple Leafs kicking off the 2023-24 NHL season. There’s some good, some bad and a whole lot of inconsistency. While it’s only October and overreactions are already swirling around this team, it’s true that every point is important in the overall standings when it comes to home-ice at the end of the season.
As of now, the Maple Leafs sit fifth in the Atlantic Division with a 5-3-1 record through nine games. They have some positive storylines over that span with William Nylander’s point streak to start the season and Joseph Woll’s play thus far, but overall the team has lacked in depth scoring and consistency to kick off the year.
After a lacklustre effort against the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday that was lacking in energy in which the Maple Leafs lost 4-1, head coach Sheldon Keefe made it clear in his post-game press conference that the team needed to find ways to win, even when they aren’t at their best.
For the Maple Leafs, moving forward, it’s about finding a way and not finding excuses — at least that’s what Keefe would like to see. That said, there are some aspects of their team game that needs improvement if they’re going to consistently find the win column.
Max Domi Has to Show Up
For starters, their offseason acquisitions have yet to pull their weight. Ryan Reaves and Tyler Bertuzzi might be playing their roles the best so far and that’s not saying a whole lot. While John Klingberg was pulled of the top powerplay unit against the Kings, Max Domi might be the biggest disappointment of the four to this point.
Nearly 10 games into the season, it’s no longer about finding chemistry or discovering your spot in the lineup, rather his focus needs to be playing his game — the same one that’s made him successful in the NHL to this point.
Related: Maple Leafs’ Keefe Discusses Focus for Domi, Team Defence
So far, he has four assists in nine games and 16 penalty minutes and while it’s part of his job to play the agitator, he needs to pick his spots. As Keefe pointed out with his comments, even if he’s not contributing offensively, Domi needs to find a way to get involved in the game while staying on the ice — physically or defensively.
Maple Leafs’ Fourth Line Needs Offence, Not Cardio
Another disappointing part of the Maple Leafs’ game so far has been the contributions from the fourth line. Now, we’re not expecting 40-point seasons from the entire fourth line, but a little offence would help fire up the team.
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As of now, Reaves, David Kämpf and Noah Gregor have combined for one goal and three points. Sure, their role on the team isn’t to put the puck in the net, but depth scoring has been a struggle for this team for a number of years and come playoff time there needs to be production throughout the lineup.
After all, Kämpf has had his two best offensive seasons since coming to the Maple Leafs and Gregor was signed following a strong camp and a 10-goal campaign in limited action with he Sharks last season.
So for the fourth line, it’s more about having a presence even if it’s just controlling the puck inside the offensive line and getting away from simply doing wind sprints when it’s their turn to go.
Maple Leafs’ Leader Looking For More
As for captain John Tavares, he knows the team has what it takes to win and understands that the team needs to be better.
“Whatever the circumstances are, every team goes through times when you have a difficult schedule or you’re coming off a long road trip and having the team we have, I think we need to recognize and understand how you have to fight through that and find ways to execute and do what we need to do to grab momentum, play to our game and dictate the term. That’s the team we’re striving to be,” said Tavares following the loss to the Kings.
Tavares has done most of his talking on the ice this season with five goals and 12 points in just nine games after recording his highest point total last season (80) since he had 88 in 2018-19.
While those outside the organization might want to make excuses, the message inside the room seems pretty clear — there are no excuses for a team with so much firepower and talent when it comes to playing games with a lacklustre effort.