Maybe Tim Leiweke was right and October wasn’t a fluke?
We’re not ready to concede that quite yet, but the Toronto Maple Leafs’ current six-game winning streak sure bears a striking resemblance to their winning ways in the opening month of the regular season.
Consider: in October, the Leafs went 10-4-0 and were outshot by a combined 505 to 371. In their last six games, all wins, they’ve been outshot by a combined 220-179.
How have they done it lately? Pretty much the same way they did before. Solid goaltending, an excellent power play, and an opportunistic offense (led by Phil Kessel, who’s scored five times on his last 17 shots).
“With Phil, if he continues to get chances, he’s got a history behind him and he knows how to score goals,” Toronto coach Randy Carlyle said after last night’s 5-2 victory in Colorado.
Of course, the question today, as it was in October, is a matter of sustainability. The Leafs’ possession numbers still rank among the lowest in the NHL, with only the Buffalo Sabres below them. No, possession isn’t everything -- the Colorado Avalanche rank pretty low, too -- but when you consider the top four teams in Fenwick (5 on 5, score close) are Los Angeles, Chicago, San Jose, and Boston, it’s pretty hard to ignore.
Toronto takes on the Stars in Dallas tomorrow.