The Toronto Maple Leafs completed the 41-game road portion of their 2014-15 schedule with a 5-0 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The loss, a blowout in which the Leafs weren’t even a little competitive, perfectly summarized how the team played away from home this season. In fact, the club will end the year with the league’s worst road record.
Maple Leafs finish the 41 game road schedule with:
8 W-27 L-6 OTL
The 8 wins will be the fewest by any team in the NHL this season.— John Shannon (@JSportsnet) April 9, 2015
Eight wins in 41 attempts. That stat goes a long way in telling the story, but here’s a few more stats which demonstrate just how bad the Leafs have been away from home. Out of a possible 82 points, the Leafs claimed just 16. With the Leafs taking home just over 19% of the points available on the road, it’s really no wonder they’re in the league’s basement.
As for offense, the Leafs scored 77 times in 41 games which boils down to an average of 1.87 goals per game. Meanwhile, they allowed 130 goals for an average of 3.17 goals allowed per game. The eight wins are pretty easy to explain when you see a -53 goal differential.
The Leafs have actually been pretty decent at home, winning 22 games with one game left to play. That 22-win total is comparable to some of the teams still in the playoff picture.
Why are the Leafs so bad on the road and fairly respectable at home? Great question. If you know the answer, contact the Leafs’ front office.