Path to the playoffs

If my memory serves me correctly, most people had the Toronto Maple Leafs scratching and clawing to make it to the playoffs this season in their pre-season predictions. In fact, many had Toronto missing the dance for what would be the seventh straight season.

So, as we head to the Christmas break, why are so many people disappointed or surprised by the fact the Leafs are in a battle to remain in the top eight in the Eastern Conference?

The Leafs are exactly where most suspected they'd be at this stage of the year. Sure they got off to a great start and it was pretty cool for Leafs Nation to be able to brag, even for just a few days, that their team was No. 1 overall in the standings. But, seriously, did folks really believe a team that finished 22nd overall a year ago was now the league's new super power? Come on.

I like this team. It is blatantly obvious that when the Leafs are matched up against a bona fide Stanley Cup contenders, like the Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks or Philadelphia Flyers, there is still plenty of ground for them to make up. Nevertheless, against most teams the Leafs have been competitive; win or lose.

The problem is we really haven't seen the true 2011-12 Maple Leafs yet. This team has been besieged by injuries and I'm not certain there has been a game when all the best players have all been healthy and in the lineup. People always say you can't use injuries as an excuse, but I have always thought that is bogus. Are you telling me the Penguins not winning the Stanley Cup last season had nothing to do with Sidney Crosby sitting out with a concussion?

It started with Tim Connolly, who injured his shoulder prior to the start of the year and missed the first few games of the year. He came to Toronto with a reputation for being injury prone, and that certainly didn't help, but overall Connolly has proven himself to be a valuable addition to the team. The thing about Connolly that is most impressive is in spite of the fact he has been injured so often, he still goes willingly to the dirty areas to make plays and doesn't hesitate to block shots when he killing penalties.

Other injuries have taken a toll. Defenceman Mike Komisarek, who is often criticized based on his play prior to this season, had a good start to the year before breaking his arm. Colby Armstrong is out with a concussion, his third injury of the season, and his energy is missed. Matthew Lombardi, who played just two games last season because of a concussion, was just starting to get his legs when he went down again with an upper body injury. The Leafs, as you surely know, have the worst penalty-killing unit in the NHL, and could certainly use a healthy Lombardi who could also add to the secondary scoring.

Starting goalie James Reimer got off to a spectacular start to the year, but missed six weeks with a concussion Instead of being able to build on last year's out-of-the-blue entrance into the NHL, he is only now seemingly getting his game back.

For my money, one of the most significant absences due to injury is that of Mike Brown, a fourth line winger who brings energy, toughness and, surprisingly, decent hands to the table. Brown had back surgery and was expected to miss at least six weeks.

There is still a lot of work that needs to be done if the Leafs are to secure a playoff spot this season.

For starters, the goaltending needs to be more consistent. For a guy who entered the year with just 37 NHL games to his credit, Reimer is being given an amazing opportunity to take the reigns as the club's starter. The injury was a setback, but he seems to be finding the form that he displayed a year ago. Still, he has a ways to go before he'll be mentioned with the best stoppers in the game. Jonas Gustavsson struggled with consistency early, but has been very good of late.

The Leafs have great team speed, to be sure, but too often their poor passing coming out of their own end cuts the legs out from under their swift forwards. There is nothing worse than a speeding forward receiving a pass in his feet or behind him in the neutral zone to kill a potential rush.

Careless outlet passes aren't the only thing that plagues the Leafs in their own zone. They are far too accommodating to the opposition; rarely making life difficult in terms of physical play. In a nutshell, they need to be more physical in their own end.

Toronto's much maligned penalty-killing has been too bad for too long. There was a short period in November when it looked like it was coming around, but it didn't last. You don't need to have the best penalty-kill in the NHL to be successful, but it is awfully hard to have the worst and expect to make the playoffs.

More than anything else, the Leafs must somehow find a way to get Mikhail Grabovski and Nikolai Kulemin going. Grabovski got off to a solid start with five goals and 10 points in his first 13 games, but has just three goals and five points in his past 16. Kulemin, who is in a contract year and is coming off a 30-goal season, has just three goals in 34 games and is on pace for seven goals. I'd hate to be his agent trying to sell those numbers. Phil Kessel and Joffrey Lupul continue to write an amazing story as two of the NHL's top scorers, but they can't do it all themselves. They need help.

For a team playing on back-to-back nights, the Leafs looked okay against the Islanders Friday night. Nazem Kadri continues to make the case he belongs in the NHL; Reimer did his thing and underrated Carl Gunnarsson finally registered his first goal of the year - on a slap shot of all things. Gunnarsson is the first to admit he shoots muffins from the point.

Even though the Islanders got close at the end, the Leafs found a way to maintain their lead.

There is lot of hockey remaining to be played this season and I suspect it will continue to be an uphill battle for Toronto to make the playoffs. From what I have seen so far, though, I'd be more inclined to say they are on the right path as opposed to taking the same old road.

Veteran hockey columnist Mike Brophy will cover the Toronto Maple Leafs for sportsnet.ca for the 2011/12 season.