Leafs Not Meeting Expectations

The Toronto Maple Leafs and expectations go hand in hand. However the height of those expectations can vary from year to year. With Brian Burke entering his fourth year as the Leafs general manager, expectations have not been this high since Mats Sundin was the face of the franchise.

The Leafs have no doubt gotten off to a torrid start, but really have they met expectations thus far? The answer on the surface to any Leaf fan would be a definitive yes. However if you really look deeper at how this team has produced , the facts are quite startling and the results against Boston and Florida could soon become the norm.

Amongst people who know hockey well, special teams is key to any team doing well. Scott Gordon and Greg Cronin were brought in to fix these issues. Through 15 games Toronto is only killing slightly over seventy percent of their penalties and the power play has not looked superb either.

Look even further at the Leafs blue line, which Brian Burke insists is the strength of this hockey team. The Leafs rank dead last in goals against, and projected top four blue liner Cody Franson has not worked out so far. Add in the fact that Tim Connolly, who is supposed to be Phil Kessel’s partner in crime, has only played 6 games thus far, and it is easy to see that maybe this team hasn’t achieved as much as people think.

Overall the Leafs haven’t met any expectations thus far, seeing as they haven’t qualified for the playoffs. They haven’t improved in areas that playoff teams excel in and have been winning by narrow margins. The bounces can only go their way for so long, and until they sort out these problems they will not be meeting anybody’s expectations this year or anytime soon for that matter.