Maple Leafs: Losing Streak is Different to Last Season’s January Slump
By Paul Taylor
While Toronto Maple Leafs fans may be concerned after five straight defeats, the vibe is different to last season’s post-Christmas collapse.
With five consecutive losses, the Toronto Maple Leafs currently find themselves in 29th place, one point ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets. While this bodes well for the draft, fans could be forgiven for having traumatic flashbacks to the 2014-15 campaign.
As with this season, the Leafs entered the New Year in high spirits. Unfortunately, they proceeded to go on a 1-11-1 run during January, which included the start of a 11-game losing streak that spilled over into February.
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When it was all said and done, the Leafs had the fourth-worst record in the NHL. However, while they will likely once again finish near to the bottom of the standings, this season is different.
One of the main reasons for this is the presence of Mike Babcock. Do you really think the Leafs head coach will allow his team to replicate last season’s free fall?
Many of the players, especially Phil Kessel, seemed to lack motivation and passion when everything started to go wrong. Some of this was understandable, given that the Leafs front office was doing everything possible to put the team in the best position for the Connor McDavid sweepstakes.
Regardless, Babcock will simply not stand for players showing little enthusiasm or commitment. Fortunately for the 52-year old, he will get some assistance from the players themselves.
On the active roster alone, the Leafs have nine players facing unrestricted free agency in the next two years. As such, the likes of Jonathan Bernier, James Reimer and Michael Grabner are playing for future contracts.
Furthermore, you only have to listen to the players, to get some idea of Babcock’s positive influence. Speaking to Kevin McGran of The Toronto Star, Nazem Kadri said: “This is a whole different squad.
“A whole different management group, a whole different coaching staff. Really nothing about this team is the same.”
Morgan Reilly echoed the sentiments of his teammate: “When we play the way we’re supposed to, we can play with anybody in the league.
“We want to stay focused and keep driving. We’re not going to lose focus on our goal and . . . let anything creep in like we did last year.”
Of course, some things are out of Babcock’s control, such as James van Riemsdyk‘s recent injury. At the time, he was leading the Leafs in scoring and will be sorely missed during the next six-eight weeks.
Ultimately though, finishing near the bottom of the standings wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. It was always understood that this would be a rebuilding season in Toronto, and gaining another high draft pick can only help.
In reality, all Leafs fans really want to see, is for the team to show as much passion as they do. With Babcock around, this should not be a problem.
Next: Leafs: Ranking the top 10 draft prospects
What do you think about the Leafs play this season? Where do you expect them to finish in the standings? Let us know in the comments section below.