The Maple Leafs did not have a flattering ranking in offensive statistics last year... actually, they didn't have a good ranking in defensive ones either, and their special teams were the absolute worst.
Dead last in both power play and penalty killing, the Leafs have to improve in these categories if they expect to move up the standings, let alone make the playoffs.
They will get better, and not just because it is unlikely that a team would finish dead last in these stats two years in row.
Brian Burke's moves in the offseason were more subtle than the big splash that many of the other teams made, but they will complement the players already in the lineup and add some important elements to the special teams.
Kris Versteeg of course has to be mentioned as the biggest name to arrive in Toronto over the Summer, and his presence will definitely be felt this year on the power play.
Versteeg managed to put up 44 points in his third year with Chicago despite averaging under 16 minutes a night, with 11 of those points coming on the power play.
He will likely get two to three more minutes of ice ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Nathan Cole
Toronto Maple Leafs Power Play Will Be Better: But Will It Be Enough?
September 7th, 2010 by Nathan Cole Leave a reply »
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