{"id":316610,"date":"2025-11-30T15:05:14","date_gmt":"2025-11-30T15:05:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/316610\/"},"modified":"2025-11-30T15:05:14","modified_gmt":"2025-11-30T15:05:14","slug":"seven-signs-the-toronto-maple-leafs-are-back-maybe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/316610\/","title":{"rendered":"Seven signs the Toronto Maple Leafs are back \u2014 maybe"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ll be the first to admit it: When Craig Berube insisted to his team at practice earlier in the week that \u201cthe glass is half full,\u201d<\/a> I was a little perplexed.<\/p>\n

There are many ways to describe how this Maple Leafs season has gone, and none of them are remotely pleasant. Not only has the glass not been half full, but it hasn\u2019t appeared to have liquid in it for some time, not after their recent skid without a regulation win in three and a half weeks and some truly embarrassing losses.<\/p>\n

They\u2019ve posted some of the worst defensive metrics in the NHL. They\u2019ve had a run of injuries to key players, including Chris Tanev and Anthony Stolarz, who remain out long term. There\u2019s been little offense from their depth pieces, including all three new forwards added in the offseason, coming up dry.<\/p>\n

Several $3 million players have been healthy scratched of late. Multiple goalies have struggled to stem the bleeding. And three waiver claims have played a regular shift. Plus, the coach and GM are already on the hot seat \u2014 and it isn\u2019t even December.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnmitigated disaster\u201d is probably a more fitting tagline for this team\u2019s first 24 games than \u201cglass half full,\u201d all things considered.<\/p>\n

Credit to the veteran coach, however. Since he uttered that line, the Leafs have won two out of three games, including their first blowout of the season in a 7-2 trouncing of the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night.<\/p>\n

Has it always been pretty through the first three games of the Leafs\u2019 first long road trip? Hardly. Are there glaring signs that they\u2019ll miss the playoffs? Absolutely. Will the win \u2014 the first game in which they\u2019ve led by four goals or more \u2014 be something to build on? We\u2019ll see.<\/p>\n

Still, with how miserable this season has been and how little good news we\u2019ve had to write about, we can take Berube\u2019s lead for one column and take an optimistic route with our musings. Here\u2019s our best attempt at accentuating the positives after a rare decent game.<\/p>\n

1. Hildeby looks like a beast\u00a0<\/p>\n

Among the many early miscalculations, bringing in Cayden Primeau off waivers instead of giving Dennis Hildeby a chance to play ranks fairly far down the list.<\/p>\n

But watching him put up another strong performance against the Penguins, one wonders if the Leafs could have a couple more wins right now had they gone to the massive Swede a bit more and not ridden Stolarz into the ground with 12 starts in the first 15 games.<\/p>\n

Hildeby picked up his fourth career win and first of the season Saturday, improving his save percentage to .914 in six appearances. With how well Joseph Woll has been playing at No. 1, it\u2019s safe to say goaltending has moved from an area of significant concern to the least of the Leafs\u2019 worries.<\/p>\n

If we\u2019re skewing optimistic, that just might be the biggest reason to be-Leaf this team can string together more competitive performances.<\/p>\n

2. Cowboy rides again\u00a0<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s stick with the young players delivering.<\/p>\n

Two games after he got them to overtime in Columbus in what became an unlikely win, Easton Cowan scored another big goal Saturday, playing catch with William Nylander on a pretty play that shows just how comfortable the 20-year-old is becoming at the NHL level.<\/p>\n

William Nylander and Easton Cowan connect for a beauty \ud83e\udd0c pic.twitter.com\/Vufp9Ei1bp<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 30, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Cowan\u2019s up to eight points in 17 games \u2014 a 39-point pace \u2014 after putting up four in his last five games. He\u2019s been logging significant ice time in that span, including playing 18:44 in Pittsburgh, and getting a chance with the Leafs\u2019 best players and on PP1 and not looking out of place.<\/p>\n

He may be green, but he\u2019s unquestionably one of the Leafs\u2019 top six forwards right now and deserves to continue to get opportunities.<\/p>\n

3. Auston Matthews shot it into the net<\/p>\n

Yes, that subhead would look absurd only two years ago, when the Leafs captain routinely put fear into the heart of goalies around the league en route to putting up nearly 70 goals.<\/p>\n

That has not been the case at all this year. And this tally \u2014 while meaningless in the grand scheme of things, given it made the game 6-2 late \u2014 was certainly a welcome sight given how much Matthews has struggled to be himself this year.<\/p>\n

AUSTON. MATTHEWS.@OREO<\/a> | #LeafsForever<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/GPX6D68850<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) November 30, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Some good member berries there.<\/p>\n

4. The accountability scratches pay off\u00a0<\/p>\n

Fans have been calling for no more Mr. Nice Coach for a while, given this team\u2019s lacklustre performance. Berube has been in Nylander\u2019s face almost daily, but seemingly been reluctant to sit struggling players at times this season, especially when they had six or seven bodies out. But better health has brought a newfound parade to the press box of late.<\/p>\n

Dakota Joshua, Matias Maccelli, Max Domi and Calle J\u00e4rnkrok have all taken turns up there munching popcorn with the media this week, and it was Joshua and Domi delivering two of their more inspired performances of the season Saturday.<\/p>\n

With Cowan solidifying his top-six spot and every forward now off the IR, Berube has the luxury of sitting sagging vets here more regularly. We\u2019d also like to see him start to dial the minutes around based on in-game performance more, too, including giving Scott Laughton more of an opportunity than the 10:47 he received on a night that turned into a laugher.<\/p>\n

5. How about Troy Stecher?\u00a0<\/p>\n

We made a waiver claim dig above that was more directed at Primeau and Sammy Blais, but Stecher has legitimately been a find for a blue line that desperately needed some outside help. The 31-year-old journeyman led all Leafs in ice time in Pittsburgh with 23:52, the fourth-highest minute total he\u2019s had in a game since way back in 2018-19.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s only been six games, but Stecher leads all Leafs players in expected goals share at even strength (64 percent) and they haven\u2019t given up hardly any high-danger opportunities with him on the ice.<\/p>\n

He should continue to play more with Tanev and Brandon Carlo out, as he brings more than just a right shot to the table.<\/p>\n

6. They\u2019ve got the struggling Panthers up next<\/p>\n

Okay, this might not seem like a positive at first. But Florida has been a bit of a mess so far this year, with a 12-11-1 record that\u2019s only a hair better than Toronto. In fact, with a win on Tuesday, the Leafs can leapfrog them in the Atlantic standings, which would be a nice shot of confidence given how the Panthers have tormented this franchise the past few years.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t believe that\u2019ll happen? Well, how about this food for thought: Florida\u2019s only win in its last four games was against Nashville, and the Panthers have lost to the Flyers, Flames and Oilers in that span.<\/p>\n

Maybe they\u2019re beatable, especially given how many key players they\u2019re missing?<\/p>\n

7. There\u2019s still plenty of time to tank\u00a0<\/p>\n

Hey, we couldn\u2019t go all positive.<\/p>\n