Maple Leafs fans, I have both good and bad news.



The bad news is the Leafs defensive-zone coverage is not very good on a lot of nights.



The good news? Expect it to get better – perhaps very soon.



The More Things Change…



Inside the defensive blueline, Mike Babcock’s 2016-17 Leafs sometimes look a bit like Randy Carlyle’s 2014-15 Leafs. If you care about the Leafs success, and enough about sports and rational thinking to subscribe to The Athletic, this will likely not be welcome news.



In 2014-15, the Leafs were second last in the NHL when it comes to goalie-independent defence, with 2.75 Expected Goals Against per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play (via corsica.hockey). This year, through their loss to Colorado on the weekend, the new, younger, better Leafs are conceding 2.72 xGA/60. The team’s overall progress at even strength has almost entirely rested with the strength of their much-improved offensive play, which ranks...