There seems to be a fair bit of panic, even with a pair of wins, among Leaf Nation these days.
They see the flaws. They see the players being used differently.
Coach Mike Babcock pretty much gave every young forward 16 minutes last year, whether they deserved it or not. Not so this year. This year time on ice is earned. The coach is being harder on players.
The results are interesting. A year ago through 17 games, the Leafs were 8-6-3 for 19 points, sitting 17th in the overall standings with 56 goals for, 57 against.