A few numbers jumped out as the Maple Leafs were getting set to play the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night.
The Leafs have playing defence with better results recently, and one reason is their willingness to throw themselves in front of the opposition when they’re winding up to shoot.
Before Wednesdays NHL’s games, the Leafs were fourth in the league with 872 blocked shots, after the Islanders (907), Minnesota (887) and Montreal (883).
The Leafs also were second in giveaways, with 614. The Edmonton Oilers were first with 618. While that might indicate some carelessness, part of it would come from playing a fast-paced game that’s not conservative.
The Leafs were ninth with 397 takeaways, and their aim was not great, as they were ninth with 679 missed shots.
And though the Leafs aren’t a necessarily physical team at forward, they were fifth with 1,332 hits. That’s not one statistic that coach Ron Wilson necessarily likes, as he pointed out earlier this season that if a team is hitting along, it might not have the puck as much as it should.
The Leafs will have a morning skate on Thursday after players had the complete day off in Philadelphia on Wednesday.