TSN's Craig Button identifies a key problem for the Leafs and presents a solution
The Toronto Maple Leafs have struggled to hold onto a lead in recent weeks, there's really no denying that. So what gives? Is there something fundamentally wrong? Are teams just wise to the Leafs' system and employ counter-measures to capitalize on a team who fails to adapt to the game?
TSN's Director of Scouting Craig Button pointed out on Leafs Lunch on Thursday that it's not as though the Leafs have been playing subpar hockey against subpar teams. Of the games where the Leafs had blown leads, they played the New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues, Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche, all of whom were labelled by Button as good teams who know how to take advantage of the Leafs.
Button believes that the "situational hockey" aspect of the Leafs' game is lacking. What he meant by this is simply that the Leafs have a solid game plan when it comes to playing a quick transition game and generating chances off the rush. But once the Leafs have established a lead, they fail to adapt and adjust the way they're playing to stifle the offense of the opposition.
It's tough to argue against the points that Button made, especially when you consider how many 2-goal and 3-goal leads the Leafs seem to squander, when all they'd really have to do is stop trying to force the offense when they're up and focus on playing a more positionally sound game and maintaining puck possession to try to burn some time off the clock.
While that doesn't necessarily sound like an exciting system for the fans, that's often how playoff games are won, and with the Leafs' biggest struggles seeming to occur when it matters most, perhaps adjusting the game plan with a two-goal cushion is what they have to do.
Button compares it to how teams protect a lead in football. Whichever team is in the lead will often run the safe play to avoid any unneccesary turnovers and give the opposing team good field position. That's sort of what happens with the Leafs. They build up these leads early, but they fail to adjust the way they play and they give teams opportunities to come back and score one or two and give them life.
"There's times when you just need positional discipline. I know you want to apply pressure and I know pressure becomes a big part of the game, but not all the time. I don't think they do that very well," Button said of the Leafs.
While I don't often see eye-to-eye with Button, I tend to agree with him here. The Leafs do need to make adjustments when they have the lead and they certainly need to put more of an emphasis on playing sound positional hockey and do things the right way so as to not allow the opposition to get any free chances to get themselves back into the game.
