"The Toronto Maple Leafs stumbled out of the gate to kick off the 2025-26 season, in large part because their special teams both faltered early on. It didn't help that they were subject to some less-than-stellar goaltending in addition to their usual tendency to struggle in October, but when you're giving up power play goals every game and failing to convert on your own opportunities, it's a recipe for disaster."
"One of the main reasons the Leafs have been so dominant over the past few weeks has been their revitalized penalty kill. Led by newly-appointed penalty kill coach Derek Lalonde on the bench and forwards Scott Laughton and Steven Lorentz up front on the ice, the Leafs have thrived when at a disadvantage to the point where their penalty kill has risen up to third in the league with a success rate of 85.3%, sitting behind only the Colorado Avalanche and the Buffalo Sabres."
Toronto started the 2025-26 season poorly as special teams faltered and goaltending lagged, compounding a typical October struggle and frequent power-play goals against. The team has recovered and sits one point outside a wildcard spot entering mid-January after going 7-0-2 since a three-game losing streak before Christmas. A revitalized penalty kill, guided from the bench by Derek Lalonde and on-ice by Scott Laughton and Steven Lorentz, has climbed to third league-wide at 85.3%. Since December 23 the penalty kill rate is 95.2%, the NHL's best by a wide margin. Improved special teams have driven recent dominance.
Read at TheLeafsNation
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