Toronto Maple Leafs: Lessons to learn from the Arizona Coyotes
By James Reeve
The Toronto Maple Leafs have lost back-to-back games, and the Arizona Coyotes could be the team that can help fans remain calm during this difficult period.
Entering the game against the Calgary Flames this past week, the Toronto Maple Leafs held an extremely healthy 8-3-0 record and were scoring at a phenomenal pace.
Two losses later and Leafs fans are concerned that the team have suddenly lost an ability to score, and now the team hold an 8-5-0 record that has seen them drop to fourth in the Atlantic Division.
Losing star centre Auston Matthews has clearly had an impact on the team, but there is clear hope that the team will return to their impressive offensive ways far sooner than later.
If there is one team in the NHL that the Leafs should look to for some hope and inspiration, it is the Arizona Coyotes.
To start the 2018-19 season, the Coyotes had a 1-4-0 record and registered just two goals in regulation.
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Things looked beyond dire for one of the worst teams in the league last season, but their recent turnaround shows that things can change very quickly in the NHL.
The Coyotes now have a 6-5-0 record, have won four games in a row and have now scored 31 goals this season – with high scoring games against the Ottawa Senators (5-1) and Tampa Bay Lightning (7-1) highlighting the sudden change in fortune.
Rick Tocchet’s team had been without the likes of Alex Galchenyuk to start the season, but the team were able to overcome the delay in their summer acquisition’s debut.
The Toronto Maple Leafs, on paper, have a much stronger team on offence than the Coyotes and should be expecting to produce more than they have over the past two games.
Mike Babcock still has John Tavares, Mitch Marner, Nazem Kadri and Kasperi Kapanen at his disposal and the team will most certainly figure out a way to get back to the high-flying performances they had at the start of the season.
It is still early in the season and things will undoubtedly change for the better very soon, especially once William Nylander re-signs and Matthews overcomes his shoulder injury in a month’s time.
But while things aren’t going their way, the Leafs should look to the Coyotes for that little bit of hope and inspiration moving forward.
Next. Leafs frustrated in loss to Dallas. dark
What do you think Leafs Nation? Will the Leafs rebound quickly from these two losses? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.