With all of the angst surrounding the Toronto Maple Leafs’ slow start to the season, they might be happy to know that following their 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild in Stockholm, Sweden, on Sunday (Nov. 19), the Maple Leafs are one point ahead of where they were last season after 17 games.
Here is a look at the team’s record after 17 games in both seasons.
| Year | Record | Points | Goals For | Goals Against |
| 2022-23 | 9-5-3 | 21 | 50 | 46 |
| 2023-24 | 10-5-2 | 22 | 62 | 59 |
Maple Leafs Position in the Atlantic This Season vs. Last Season
Interestingly, if we compare their position in the standings in the Atlantic Division, there’s little difference.
In 2022-23, they ranked second in the Atlantic after 17 games. They were seven points behind the first-place Boston Bruins and two points ahead of the third-place Florida Panthers with one more game played.
Related: Today in Hockey History: Nov. 21
In 2023-24, they are again seven points behind the Bruins but are three points behind the second-place Panthers with a game in hand.
Maple Leafs Goal Differentials This Season vs. Last Season
The biggest difference between the two seasons is in goals for and against. Last season, the Maple Leafs scored 50 goals after 17 games for an average of 2.94 goals-for-per-game, and 46 goals against for an average of 2.71 goals-against-per-game.
This season, they have scored 62 goals, for an average of 3.65, and they have given up 59. That’s an average goal-against per game of 3.47. The Maple Leafs have scored 12 more goals to this point of this season but have given up 13 more.
Maple Leafs Player’s Individual Comparisons
After 17 games last season, Mitch Marner led the Maple Leafs in scoring with 19 points (4 goals and 15 assists). This season, Marner has 20 points in 17 games. He has one more goal and the same number of assists. But this season, Marner is third in team scoring, seven points behind William Nylander (who has been hot all season) and two points behind Auston Matthews.
At this point last season, John Tavares led the team in goals with nine. Matthews only had seven and was tied with Nylander. This season, Matthews leads the team with 14 goals, and Nylander has 12.
Last season, the plus/minus ratings of the core four weren’t flattering. Matthews was the only player above zero at plus-1. Marner was zero, Nylander was minus-1, and Tavares was minus-3.
Related: Ranking the Maple Leafs Best Goalies Since 1990
This season, they are slightly better. Marner and Tavares are both at zero, while Matthews and Nylander are both plus-2.
Maple Leafs Newcomers vs. Departed Players
Departed players Michael Bunting (4-5-9) and Alex Kerfoot (1-5-6) had a combined 15 points and were a combined plus-4 at this point in the season. Their replacements, Tyler Bertuzzi (4-4-8) and Max Domi (0-9-9), have a combined 17 points and are also a combined plus-4.
Maple Leafs Defensemen This Season vs. Last Season
Morgan Rielly has three goals, whereas he had not yet scored a goal at this point last season. His point total isn’t much different, though. He had 14 points last season and has 15 in 2023-24. The biggest difference is in his plus/minus. Rielly was zero to this point last season but is a plus-7 this season.
That increase in his plus/minus stat is also reflected in his most common partner, TJ Brodie. Brodie has the same number of points as last season (two), but he was zero in plus/minus at this point. This season, he leads the team with a plus-8.
A Look at Maple Leafs Goaltending This Season vs. Last Season
While individual stats reflect the increase in the number of goals the team had scored in 2023-24 over 2022-23, the goaltending stats have similarly been affected by the goals the team has allowed.
The Maple Leafs used three goalies to this point last season, Ilya Samsonov, Matt Murray, and Erik Kallgren. Samsonov had the best save percentage (SV%) at .921 and the best goals-against average (GAA) at 2.23 in eight appearances. Kallgren also had eight appearances, with a .893 SV%, while Matt Murray was sitting at .900 SV% and 3.02 GAA in two appearances.
Related: Joseph Woll’s Return Carries New Maple Leafs’ Goalie Issues
This season, Joseph Woll has a .909 save percentage and a 2.90 GAA in 10 games. Samsonov sits at .878 SV% and 3.56 GAA in nine appearances.
The Bottom Line: The Maple Leafs This Season vs. Last Season
Overall, the Maple Leafs are in pretty much the same position as they were last season, only they are scoring more goals and giving up more goals.
Also, as they did last season, the team started slow but caught fire in November. In 2022-23, they turned things around when the calendar changed. This season, it wasn’t until they were a week into November before they started to put it together. Last season, they had won five of their last seven games at the 17-game mark. This season, they have won five of their last six.
(Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
The 2023-24 version of the Maple Leafs has a daunting task ahead of them if they want to keep pace with the 2022-23 version of the team. Starting with their 18th game, the Maple Leafs did not lose in regulation for their next 13 games. They went 9-0-4 before losing back-to-back games in their 31st and 32nd game. Odds are, they are not going to repeat that.
[Note: I want to thank long-time Maple Leafs fan Stan Smith for collaborating with me on this post. Stan’s Facebook profile can be found here.]