Let’s start with the positives.
Toronto’s special teams have improved notably, with a top-10 penalty kill that has given up just 24 goals in 41 games, the fourth fewest in the league. Since joining the staff, Rich Clune has done a stellar job turning around the faltering power play, nudging it up near the middle of the pack at 17.8%.
After falling apart at critical moments during a seven-game losing streak, Toronto has shown some steel in its performances in recent weeks, fighting through adversity (sometimes self-induced) to take points from situations they wouldn’t have earlier in the campaign.