Jack Campbell (Kevin Sousa, Getty Images)
Jack Campbell's best game in months helped the Leafs manage a win against a red-hot Pittsburgh Penguins team.
Here are my 5 takeaways from a statement victory at Scotiabank Arena.
1. Home Sweet Home
After weeks of home games that were absolutely silent, the Ontario government has finally started their easing of COVID-19 restrictions and permitted 50% capacity at sports venues. It was amazing to hear fans cheering after a goal and booing after a bad call (there were a few of those tonight).
Clearly, this team works at their best with support behind them, as their home record is incredible. The Leafs simply have confidence when there are people behind them. Although the team deserves criticism at times, fans need to get behind their squad every once in a while.
Now that fans are back in the building, they have a chance to do it. It'll be boosted to the extreme when we hopefully get 100% capacity on March 1.
Games are just so much more exciting to watch when there are fans in the building. They're finally back and it's thrilling.
2. The Campbell Renaissance Begins
Coach Sheldon Keefe lauded Jack Campbell for his "best game of the year" so far. That's a high bar, but it legitimately could be.
He faced 46 shots and only conceded one goal to Evgeni Malkin, good for a .978 SV%. He faced 14 high danger chances, equal to an xGoals against of 3.00 and yet he allowed just one goal. After his major struggles in 2022, two consecutive good games against Seattle and Pittsburgh is like a nice spoonful of chicken soup. It's good for the soul.
I've said it before and I'll say it again. If Campbell is red-hot, the Leafs are going to be winning at least one playoff series. Maybe that's a bold take, but defense becomes much less of an issue if the Leafs' goaltending can hold up. There are no concerns on offense, so if this two-game stretch from "Soupy" turns into something serious, this Leafs team is ready to skyrocket to the top of the division.
3. Carbery and Chynoweth Becoming Game-Changers
If I were to ask any Leafs fan if they could tell me the most valuable offseason acquisition for Toronto, I honestly don't think anybody could give me the right answer. I would probably hear a lot of votes for Michael Bunting (who has been a revelation on the top line), Ondrej Kase and maybe some satirical people answering with Nick Ritchie. However, the objectively correct answer to my question are two new additions to the coaching staff, Spencer Carbery and Dean Chynoweth.
The special teams coaches have revitalized what was a legitimate concern for the team last year.
Carbery has turned the power play into a lethal weapon; the Leafs' numbers with the man advantage are astonishing. This current iteration of the Leafs has the second best power play in NHL history. That's astonishing. Only the '78 Canadiens, who went 59-10-11 in the regular season en route to the Stanley Cup had a higher percentage. That team had Guy Lafleur, Jacques Lemaire, Steve Shutt, Larry Robinson and Yvan Cournoyer on the PP1 unit. All 5 of those guys are Hall of Famers. In other words, a power play with the exact same players turned from one that was 16th in the NHL last year to a power play almost equal with one of the best teams in NHL history: the '78 Habs. Carbery has sparked an increase of 11.8% on the PP, from 20.0% to 31.8%. Wild.
But Chynoweth's transformation has been arguably even more dramatic. The '21 Leafs were 24th in the NHL with a penalty kill percentage of 78.5%. Chynoweth's aggressive style has helped the Leafs take a huge step to 84.4% this year, while also scoring 7 short-handed goals. They are now tied for second in the NHL in goals with a man down from a team perspective. David Kampf now has two consecutive games with a short-handed goal. He's the first Leaf to do that since Tyler Bozak in 2014.
4. Matthews is Second Best in the NHL
All the little keyboard warriors that try to stir up controversy by saying that Auston Matthews is overrated have never seen a Leafs game in my life. I know this is 5 takeaways, but that was the number one thing I learned from this game.
Every time I watch him have a dominant game, in which he matched up very well with Sidney Crosby defensively, scored a beautiful goal 21 seconds into the game and fed Michael Bunting for the goal that sealed the game, I question how people don't think he is top-3 in the NHL.
As somebody who I feel is perfectly capable to make a verdict on this debate based on the amount of hockey I watch, Auston Matthews is the best player in the NHL not named Connor McDavid. I claimed as much in my top 50 players list in January, and Matthews has provided me with more and more proof that he is closing the gap to the top.
Dom Luszczyszyn and Shayna Goldman, two of my favourite authors at the Athletic, have a project in which they have a stat card for the majority of NHL players. It's hard to explain, but essentially, the bars in the player card represent how a player compares to the average NHL player. If a bar is almost completely full, it means that player is elite. Let's check out Matthews' card.
(Credit to the Athletic)
Holy moly, he's insane. It might be hard to read, but through Luszczyszyn's analytics model, Matthews is projected to be worth $19.5 million, almost $8 million more than he is actually getting paid. Absolute beast.
5. The Best of his Generation
Will Sidney Crosby go down as a top-5 player of all time? I'm not sure and I think we'll have to wait 20 years before we can actually make a verdict on that. However, what we can say is that he is a legend of the game with dominant play on the ice, a trophy cabinet that is full to the brim with both individual and team accolades and one of the most famous goals in history on his highlight reel.
Obviously, injuries hindered the heights Crosby could reach, but after scoring his 500th career goal (against his rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers, no less) on Wednesday, It's safe to assume that Crosby is going to be considered a generational talent. His consistency is unmatched and his competitive spirit has helped make him a serial winner.
Standing ovation for Sid the Kid.
NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT IS INTENDED
ALL STATS ARE VIA MONEYPUCK AND NATURAL STAT TRICK
Comments
Post a Comment