The second half of the schedule arrives for the Maple Leafs this week, with the team intending to go much further than the 41 remaining regular season games.
How about reaching 50 wins and a long playoff run?
But they won’t do it with the status quo, which must either find a higher level of play or be bolstered by a trade or two, perhaps a waiver addition or, if they’re ready, call-ups from the AHL Marlies.
“I think earlier we thought we were a good team and we can be a good team,” Leafs coach Mike Babcock said Tuesday before the first half finale against Tampa Bay.
“We’re not deep enough to sustain a bunch of injuries, we said that when (leading scorer Auston Matthews was hurt). Saying all that, you look at what we did in the first half (48 points prior to Tuesday versus the Lightning), put it in the bank and get ready for the second half. It’s the real one and we have to get a lot better if we’re going to keep playing.”
TOP 5 FIRST-HALF SURPRISES
1) LATE BLOOMERS
Thirty-somethings Patrick Marleau, Ron Hainsey and Dominic Moore don’t just keep up with the play, they’ve lifted the Leafs. Marleau and Hainsey, in particular, thrive with busy workloads.
2) ONE-GOAL WONDERS
With a record of 11-2-2, the Leafs are set to reverse the curse of close losses that have killed them in the shootout era. Last year, Toronto dropped 23 games by a single puck and 24 the season before.
3) FAST FREDDY
Frederik Andersen has overcome a slow start again to become just the third Leafs goalie to win 20 games in back-to-back seasons since the 2004-05 lockout.
4) BORGMAN BREAKS THROUGH
Nikita Zaitsev came off the boat and right into a top-four role on defence. While Andreas Borgman hasn’t been quite as successful, the Swedish strongman’s steady play meant the Leafs could send some kids down for seasoning.
5) MARLIES MARCH ON
The farm team, coached by Sheldon Keefe, has stayed at or near the top of its division all season. A great winning environment for Toronto’s next crop of rookies after the disappointment of training camp cuts.
TOP 5 FIRST-HALF LETDOWNS
1) ALARM CLOCK MALFUNCTION
Toronto’s newest drinking game? Take a swig every time Babcock or one of his players say “we have to start on time.”
2) KIDS’ STUFF
Not every one of the Leafs youngsters was going to make it through 2017-18 without a sophomore slump. But William Nylander and Mitch Marner had some issues, often a battle of wills about curtailing their creativity to adhere to an unappetizing conservative game.
3) HOME REPAIRS
Only five losses in 16 games, but Babcock railed on again Tuesday morning about the need to be aggressive on Bay St. Had they not mailed it in against a few weaker opponents early in the schedule, they’d have the kind of dominance the Vegas Golden Knights are developing at home.
4) ACHE NEWS
We get that the Leafs don’t want to get too chatty about injuries. Some clubs share such routine info. But when Babcock — who prefers to be the sole medical spokesman — tries to be evasive about the most obvious injury questions, it often backfires in an intense media market.
5) JOHNNY BOWER
A sad way to end 2017, with the passing of a team icon, a strong link to a generation of fans that basked in four Stanley Cups.
TOP 5 SECOND-HALF STORYLINES
1) OVER TO YOU, LOU
Deals such as the one for Marleau showed the Leafs are serious about going beyond just making the playoffs. Now that some holes are still evident, especially on defence, Lou Lamoriello will be a busy man up to Feb. 26. But, as no stud defenceman under a long contract will come cheap, he’ll have to get creative.
2) COME BACK NIKITA
Fortunate where injuries are concerned — the Leafs survived two to Matthews already — they can’t afford to lose one of their best defenders for longer than his projected late-January return.
3) ACC ACTION
The Tampa Bay game heralds five straight at home, followed by a five-day break and eight of the next 14 at the Air Canada Centre. March and April have games against teams currently out of the playoff picture, a chance for a strong Leaf finish.
4) RECORD WATCH
Andersen has a shot at the club record of 37 wins in a season, while James van Riemsdyk can beat his personal best of 30 goals. And how good would it look for Marleau to hit 30 at age 38?
5) CAPITAL IDEA
The Leafs play an outdoor game March 3 in Annapolis, Md., against the Washington Capitals at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium. More than 30,000 are expected.