There’s a saying about March – in like a lion, out like a lamb.

For the Leafs, the saying should probably be something closer to “in like a slightly wounded and underperforming lion, out like a lamb that should hopefully have its D-core back together soon”. Then again, that doesn’t exactly have the same ring to it.

To say that the back half of the 2018-19 Leafs season has been an emotional rollercoaster for fans might be an understatement. The dominant early-season Leafs with their Vezina-calibre goaltending and killer Power Play have, at times, withered into something hardly recognizable. With the Special Teams well running dry and Frederik Andersen’s save percentage running down the drain of late, it’s hard not to be feeling the heat with the playoffs rapidly approaching.

Take a second and look at this:

And this:

Forget for a moment about the absurdity of the NHL’s playoff format, and how it’s tailor-made to ruin the Atlantic Division for all three of the Leafs, Lightning and Bruins.

Look at the Leafs, 20 games over .500 on March 28th despite the fact that the patented “Leafs January” seemed to bleed into February AND March this year, with 45 wins through regulation and overtime (already three better than last season’s 42, and with five games still to play!).

Leafs Twitter has been a nightmare this season. It’s been miserable – and I’ve probably been smack in the middle of making it that way.

But as I said, this season has been an emotional rollercoaster for all of us. And it’s time to settle it down. Because screaming at the Leafs to pull it together while we continue to run about volatile and unhinged is probably a bad idea.

So that’s the fans’ side of things at this point in time. On the ice, with five games left in the regular season, the Leafs have tasks of their own to complete, too. Let’s run through them – calmly.

If Freddie Doesn’t Rest, Help Him Bounce Back

Since losing Travis Dermott and Jake Gardiner to injury, Frederik Andersen has not been particularly good. Shocker, huh?

Andersen held the fort for 3 of 4 games after both D-men went down to injury, but since March 11th, things have been… bad.

Andersen was yanked twice in a row against Tampa and Chicago, somehow won with a .793 save percentage against the Flyers on March 15th, and has only put up two games above .900 in this 7-game stretch.

Last night, he had a (decent!) .909 save percentage in a game THAT INCLUDED THIS:

“No goalie has a chance with what is going on in front of him. If I’m Frederik Andersen I am pissed off, I am sour at the guys in front of me.” @RealKyper on the #Leafs‘ sloppy defensive play @gregbradyTO @SmrtAsh #LeafsForever. Full interview 🎧: https://t.co/EsX9VCeYF9 pic.twitter.com/g7Z1XbcHJS — Sportsnet 590 The FAN (@FAN590) March 28, 2019

I saw this in person and Martin Marincin’s decision-making destroyed every fibre in my body that once thought it could anticipate what play would happen next. The fact that Frederik Andersen has routinely been playing behind a rotating cast of spare parts plus Nikita Zaitsev (what’s the difference?) just might suggest that there’s more to this than Andersen potentially being banged up and needing rest.

On that topic, though, it’s worth pointing out that we may have overreacted to some out-of-context quotes yesterday. Regarding Andersen’s workload and his decision to continue playing, Mike Babcock had this to say:

Here’s the full Babcock quote on Andersen: pic.twitter.com/rIxb20ASEQ — Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) March 27, 2019

There’s some pretty valid stuff to unpack here. First, Andersen wanting to get his groove back is completely understandable, and arguably better than forcing him to sit and letting him stew in the lingering stink of a rotten month.

Whether or not he can get out of this slump behind the current blue line is another argument, but I digress.

If Jake Gardiner Isn’t Ready, Look To The Future

Since being listed as week-to-week on February 27th – now over a month ago – there hasn’t been much word on how close Jake Gardiner is to returning.

The good news we’ve heard (and seen) is that Gardiner has been skating in Toronto for about a week now. The bad news? Even if he is, he still might not be ready to go by the start of the playoffs, for all we know.

You can take that and be upset – I wouldn’t blame you for it. But before you do, consider this:

#Leafs could be looking at adding Calle Rosen AND Travis Dermott on Saturday. Good riddance. The time is nigh — Raihan Hussain (@RaihanSays) March 28, 2019

Remember last season, when Travis Dermott wasn’t even an every-night player for the Leafs after his January 15th callup from the Marlies? Now, he’s inarguably a top-four defenseman for the club, whose absence in the last month has been glaring and who, unlike Gardiner, seems poised to finally return to action this weekend.

Potentially joining him is Calle Rosen. Remember him? The 25-year old Swede appeared in four whole games for the Leafs at the start of the 2017-18 season before being shipped off to the Marlies, where he’s since blossomed into a promising prospect who earned himself a 2-year extension from Kyle Dubas in December.

Dubas, without a doubt, envisions Rosen as an NHL player. The Leafs should, too. Without any guarantee of Gardiner’s return next season – whether he’s ready for the playoffs or not – it’s time to see what you’ve got. Embrace it.

If The Wins Don’t Come, They Don’t Have To (Yet)

Did you know the Leafs are making the playoffs?

They’re all-but-locked into the 3rd spot in the Atlantic Division; no longer realistically chasing the Bruins, who sit six points ahead of them in 2nd with 5 games to go. They’re here – they’re going – and the five games remaining in the regular season are all but a formality.

Would it be nice to string together some wins to end the season? Sure. There’s no doubt it would help with morale and momentum, especially with the Bruins continuing to perform well, too.

But for now, don’t freak out if the Leafs drop a weird game in a shootout or get goalie’d by someone you’ve never heard of. Let this in-between period be for growth, not for mental breakdowns.

Breathe

Sometimes teams lose games

Sometimes goalies get cold

Sometimes you’re missing two really good defensemen and that makes your team a little bit bad

Sometimes (all times) NHL coaches are stubborn

Did you know the San Jose Sharks, widely regarded as a contender, are 4-5-1 in their last ten? Of course you didn’t, because they’ve been getting March Andersen goaltending the entire season, and the sky only falls in Toronto.

The playoffs are a new season. They matter. The Leafs may still be ironing out some kinks, but they’re not late to the dance.

I could end this by saying It’s Going To Be Okay, but wouldn’t you rather it be great?

It’s Going To Be Great, then.





