Leafs appear to be in control, despite their early record

TORONTO — The Toronto Maple Leafs are off to a 3-2-0 start to the season, but it could be a lot better, says coach Sheldon Keefe.

“We could be at 5-and-0,” Keefe said Thursday in his daily video-conference briefing. “If we were able to be more consistent, or play like we’re capable of. We were winning the Ottawa game, and gave that lead up. (On Wednesday, a 3-1 loss to Edmonton) the game was right there for us. We didn’t like a lot about our game, but it was a game that could have gone either way.”

Not sure if that’s a glass-halffull or glass-half-empty approach, but it does indicate the team is learning what it takes to win, and how razor thin that line is between a win and a loss.

“We’ve shown great progress in the areas we wanted to see progress in,” said Keefe. “The way that we played (against Edmonton) gave us a chance to win. We negated the biggest offensive threats on their team. Ultimately, it was an own-goal and a bad bounce. They scored a power-play goal and we didn’t. That’s the difference in the game.

“There were a lot of encouraging signs.”

The Maple Leafs licked their wounds in many ways on Thursday. First, Joe Thornton won’t be available for Friday’s rematch against Edmonton. It appears he’ll be out for a while after taking a check in the third period, though Keefe said a final diagnosis had not been confirmed. He appeared to be nursing his left wrist.

Then star scorer Auston Matthews left practice early, not feeling well apparently.

“We’ll see how it all settles,” said Keefe.

While the teams’ depth at forward may already be getting challenged, just five games into the season, the structure the team plays is already in place.

When the Maple Leafs talk about playing their game, it stems from controlling the puck. Offence flows from puck control and defence is easier, since you’re usually in the other end.

They’ve done it well most of the season, according to statistics provided by Sportlogiq. On average, the Leafs control the puck in the offensive zone for eight minutes and seven seconds a game, tops in the North Division and second in the National Hockey League overall. Similarly, they limit opponents to 5:17 of puck control time in the Leafs end, tops in the North and second in the league.

Measured another way, the results are the same: The puck is in the opposition zone for 26:10 a game, and in the Leaf zone for 21:35. Both are tops in the North, second in the league. “Possession is a huge part of our game,” said forward Zach Hyman. “We’re a team that wants to have the puck a ton. At the same time, we need to attack the puck more than we have been, do a better job of getting inside. Right now, we’re a bit on the perimeter. When you have the puck all the time, it’s frustrating for the other team. Making decisions with it. Maintaining it. Playing in the opposition zone with it. Possession can lead to a lot of good things.”

Typically, that’s a power play. Or, better yet, a scoring chance. Or maybe even a goal.

While possession has been their identity in some ways, they didn’t do it particularly well in Wednesday’s loss to Edmonton. Alex Kerfoot’s decision to circle back into the Leafs zone in the first period ended up with an unfortunate change in possession and incredibly lucky goal for Kailer Yamamoto and an early Edmonton lead.

“If we have the puck for the majority of the game, then generally good things are going to happen,” said Kerfoot. “But it’s also a fine line, too. We don’t want to be taking the puck back too often and getting ourselves in trouble. It’s about reading the play.”

The unique schedule this year — frequent two-game sets against the same team — provides a measurement how the team that loses one night adjusts for the second game. The Leafs did that last week in Ottawa, losing the first, and winning the second.

They’ll face that challenge again Friday, trying to duplicate the defensive effort they showed against Connor McDavid and Co. while finding their own version of offence.

“(On Wednesday), we got up against a team that was really committed (defensively), didn’t give us much space or opportunity to create offence,” said Keefe. “So you have to really work and grind your way to getting chances. When I say grind, it’s not all about chipping and chasing and forechecking. It’s about challenging defencemen, moving your feet, competing for space, pushing them back.”