Leafs Notebook: On 5v5 play, secondary scoring & special teams after nine games

toronto maple leafs pittsburgh penguins nikita zaitsevFor the second straight season, the Toronto Maple Leafs got off to a 6–1–0 start, setting the league on fire by overpowering the opposition offensively.

While the last two games – getting shut out against Pittsburgh and not scoring on St. Louis for the following two periods before losing that game, too – were a sobering experience, in the bigger nine-game picture, there are some concerning signs that will need to be addressed.

The Leafs are currently fourth in the league in goals for and second in power play percentage. By the raw totals, they also have the most even-strength goals in the league. Generally speaking, they’ve lived up to…