Maple Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen has a 2.61 goals-against average in November, down more than a goal from his 3.67 mark in October. In other words, overcoming a dregs-of-the-league defence to make the playoffs, let alone play in a final, isn’t often achieved by mere mortals. There have been Maple Leaf-esque teams with top-notch scoring and bottom-of-the-barrel defence in more recent memory. All of this is to say that the Maple Leafs, if they’re serious about hanging around in the playoff hunt, will need to improve their defensive results, pronto. Witness Babcock’s disappointment in Saturday’s 2-1 loss in Montreal, where the Maple Leafs, after a slow start, outshot the Canadiens but fell short to Carey Price et al.

Source: thestar November 20, 2016 20:55 UTC