3 reasons the Maple Leafs can still make the playoffs

"With a goal differiential of -8, you could argue that the Leafs are a few bounces away from being right near the top of the conference, as six of their 13 losses have been one-goal games. On the flip-side, five of the team's nine wins have been one-goal decisions as well, so virtually every game has been incredibly tight thus far."

"There are only six players who have played all 22 games thus far, with important players such as Chris Tanev, Matthew Knies Scott Laughton, Steven Lorentz, Auston Matthews, Brandon Carlo and Anthony Stolarz all missing signficant time. When your number-one centre, defenseman and goaltender all get injured, it's tough to expect wins."

"The oddsmakers suggest that the Toronto Maple Leafs will miss the playoffs for the first time in 10 years, but there are three reasons to be optimistic."

The Toronto Maple Leafs sit last in the Eastern Conference through 22 games despite winning the Atlantic Division last year. The team has a -8 goal differential and many outcomes have been decided by one goal, with six of 13 losses and five of nine wins being one-goal games. Only six players have played all 22 games, while key pieces including Chris Tanev, Matthew Knies, Scott Laughton, Steven Lorentz, Auston Matthews, Brandon Carlo and Anthony Stolarz have missed significant time. Joseph Woll has performed well in Stolarz's absence. Matthews and Knies look close to returning, and Craig Berube remains a strong coaching option to halt the slump.

Read at Editor In Leaf