So we’re almost to the halfway point of their season, and the Maple Leafs may well grab a playoff spot in the Atlantic Division. They’re certainly in the conversation as one of the most improved teams in the NHL.



The 2016-17 Leafs are also quietly on their way to making history, at least if we restrict our analysis to the “Corsi Era,” which began when the NHL started tracking missed shots and blocked shots in 2007-08.



Since then, teams coached by Mike Babcock have consistently found themselves in the black when it comes to even-strength shot attempt differentials.



And one big reason is they have been especially good at generating shot attempts.



Two things jump out on this chart.



First, no Babcock-coached team in the past decade has been outshot at even-strength over the course of a full season (as indicated by the fact their CF% is always above 50 per cent, meaning they have had a higher share of the shot attempts at...