Last week, when we first saw the lineup changes head coach Craig Berube made, we’ll admit our initial reaction wasn’t excitement. The Toronto Maple Leafs had found some rhythm. The lines were working. William Nylander was coming back, and we expected Berube to keep the disruption to a minimum; something like slotting Nylander back in, nudging one player down, and leaving the rest alone. But that’s not what happened.
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Instead, Berube juggled three of the four lines, leaving only the Nicolas Roy/Nicholas Robertson/Easton Cowan unit intact. It felt risky, especially heading into Colorado to play the best team in the NHL, in the toughest building in the league. This wasn’t the set of games you’d normally choose to experiment.
Except it wasn’t an experiment.
Berube Trusted the System Over the Comfort
What Berube did was put his trust fully in the system. Not in chemistry nor in recent success. He trusted the structure. We saw the Maple Leafs respond, and it was impressive.
Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Last night, they went into Denver and beat the Avalanche 4-3 in overtime, snapping Colorado’s home streak without panic, shortcuts, or hero hockey. Nylander has returned and looked strong. The scoring was spread out. The team didn’t sag when Colorado pushed. They stayed in the game, waited for their moment, and finished it. This wasn’t luck. This was maturity.
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Different players put up points. Most of the lineup finished with a positive plus/minus. Toronto scored at five-on-five, converted on the power play, killed penalties, and got exactly what they needed from Joseph Woll when the Avalanche pushed the play. It was a solid performance in all areas — the kind that travels.
The Standings Don’t Tell the Whole Maple Leafs Story
On paper, the Maple Leafs’ point streak looks pretty dramatic. They have taken nearly every point available over the last 10 games, yet the climb in the standings felt slow. That’s the reality of today’s NHL — three-point games make lost ground brutally hard to recover.
But, right now, for the first time in recent memory, the team is above the cut line for playoff hockey. That tells a story. Before Christmas, Toronto’s playoff odds were barely in double digits. Now they’re hovering above coin-flip territory. This 10-game swing isn’t just noise — it’s meaningful.
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They dug themselves a hole early. They were never going to climb out of it in a week.
Maple Leafs Secondary Scoring Is No Longer a Theory
One of the biggest differences between this season’s team and last season’s version is where the offence is coming from. Last season, outside the core, production was thin. This year, it’s layered. Matthew Knies has taken another step. Morgan Rielly and Oliver Ekman-Larsson are contributing consistently from the back end. Bobby McMann and Robertson are chipping in at real NHL rates. Even the depth players are holding their end.
Bobby McMann, Toronto Maple Leafs (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
Even compared to last season, this team is finding the net more often — and in bigger moments. That matters in tight games. It matters on the road. And it mattered in Denver.
The Maple Leafs’ Stars Are Back Where They Belong
All of that said, this team still goes nowhere unless its best players are its best players. For stretches earlier this season, that wasn’t happening. Nylander went cold for a month. Matthews looked uncomfortable before Christmas. Those were real concerns, not media inventions. Lately, those concerns are fading.
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Nylander has been dynamic since returning. Matthews looks like himself again — scoring, driving play, and imposing his will. John Tavares continues to do what he’s always done: provide steady, reliable production without drama. The stars aren’t freelancing anymore. They’re operating inside the system — and that’s the key.
What We’re Seeing Tactically from the Maple Leafs
The most interesting change, though, isn’t on the scoresheet. Early in the season, defensive-zone exits were rushed. Pucks went straight up the ice, forwards cheated early, and turnovers — and icings — piled up. Long shifts followed. That’s changed.
Now the defence uses each other to exit the defensive zone. The puck moves east-west before it moves north. A forward stays back as an outlet. No one leaves the zone until possession is fully secured. Pressure is absorbed, not panicked away. The result is cleaner exits, longer possessions, and controlled entries with numbers. It’s subtle, but it’s everything.
Defensively, the Maple Leafs are also closing space instead of backing in. They step into puck carriers. They take away time. They force decisions. That’s Berube hockey, finally showing up consistently.
The Bottom Line for the Maple Leafs?
The win in Colorado didn’t create this belief — it confirmed it. This team still has work to do. The road ahead is hard. The margin remains thin. But the Maple Leafs aren’t cheating the game anymore. They’re playing patient, connected, adult hockey.
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And for the first time in a long while, it feels like the results are matching the process. That fact alone could bode well for the postseason — if the team gets there. And it looks more promising this morning than it has in a long time.
[Note: I want to thank long-time Maple Leafs fan Stan Smith for collaborating with me on this post. Stan’s Facebook profile can be found here.]
