The Leafs playing down to their opponents may cost them the Atlantic Division
A pattern for the Leafs this season has been that many times they have played down to their competition. Bottom feeders such as the Senators, Coyotes, Habs and Sharks all hold victories over the Leafs this season. Tonight, after a 5-1 loss where the Leafs showed minimal effort against the Buffalo Sabres, the Leafs find themselves dropping valuable points in the standings amid a tight race at the top of the Atlantic Division.
The Leafs currently 3rd in their division, a point back of the Panthers and two back of the Lightning. One of the problems however is that both of Florida's powerhouses have games in hand on the Buds. These valuable points dropped by the Leafs against some of the league's laughing stocks could end up being the difference between home ice advantage in round one and opening the postseason on the road.
The Leafs are showing the same problems now that they have shown in years past. They can't get a save, their defense has "first round exit" written all over it, and when the "Core 4" isn't scoring, only a select few players are able to generate anything offensively. Like every other year, this team loves to play to the level of their competition. It is going to come back to haunt them come playoff time - again!
These problems have been prevalent with the club for years. They start playing well, they get fat and happy, and then they blow it. Losses are going to happen in hockey, but losing to teams like the Coyotes and Senators and then getting embarrassed by the Sabres and Canadiens is unacceptable for a team that is considered to be a Stanley Cup contender, yet this seems to happen every year.
Rasmus Sandin said it best in his postgame media availability:
"Buffalo, no disrespect to them or anything but that's a team we should beat."
The Leafs need to stop losing to teams they should beat. Full stop.
But hey - at least the goalie was 40-year-old Craig Anderson and not a 42-year-old zamboni driver this time.
There are clear issues with this team that Kyle Dubas has 19 days to fix before the trade deadline, because these dropped points are going to be costly - esoecially because of the playoff implications they'll have.
On the bright side, perhaps the Leafs' habit of playing to the level of competition means they may play UP to the comptition come playoff time! Maybe they won't embarrass themselves in the playoffs when they likely face one of the Florida teams.
| POLL | ||
MARS 3 | 241 ANSWERS The Leafs playing down to their opponents may cost them the Atlantic Division Are the Leafs long for another first round exit? | ||
| Yes | 114 | 47.3 % |
| No | 100 | 41.5 % |
| Show me the results | 27 | 11.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
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