It’s quite unusual to witness a sports experiment unfold in professional sports as we are seeing with the Toronto Maple Leafs. For years, critics have argued that their chosen playing style was not conducive to winning. They were considered too focused on skillful plays and puck possession, a style deemed ineffective in the playoffs.
And indeed, past results have reflected this.
Conversely, their supporters maintained that this style would eventually prove successful, emphasizing that the team’s composition was tailored to this approach. They believed that with improved goaltending or special teams performance, the team would finally achieve desired outcomes. The idea was that persistent effort, similar to teams like Washington or St. Louis, would eventually lead to their breakthrough year.
However, after numerous attempts to “break through,” those advocating for a more traditional approach got their wish with the Maple Leafs’ management and the arrival of coach Craig Berube. Berube initiated the season by instructing the team to adopt a simpler, more straightforward style of hockey.
To be fair, Sheldon Keefe, the previous coach, had also acknowledged the need for Toronto to play a more direct, north-south style, which was reflected in their increased “dump in rate” over the seasons. Since Keefe took over in 2019-20, the Maple Leafs’ dump in rate has steadily increased.
Currently, the Maple Leafs resort to dumping the puck in more frequently than ever before.
This observation is particularly relevant following a recent analysis of “Ice Tilt,” which indicates that the Leafs are positioned in the bottom third of the league in this metric, ranking 24th. This typically suggests that the puck is more often in their defensive zone compared to their opponent’s zone.
