Every so often, someone with some knowledge in hockey says something that isn’t made up and is precisely to the point. Arrow to the center of the target.
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This week, it was Doug MacLean. The former NHL coach and general manager went on Sportsnet and unloaded on the Toronto Maple Leafs — not out of spite, but out of exasperation. You could hear it in his voice. This is a man who’s seen a lot of hockey, and he’s struggling to make sense of what he’s watching.
You can also tell that MacLean is a Maple Leafs fan. Yet, he didn’t sugarcoat the point he was making. “This is not a good hockey team right now,” he said flatly after the Maple Leafs’ 6–3 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Then he asked the question that probably every Toronto fan has whispered at least once this season: “How do you not know how to play in the neutral zone?”
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That’s where his critique starts — and for the Maple Leafs, it cuts deep.
MacLean Names Three Problems the Maple Leafs Are Having
MacLean outlines three issues the Maple Leafs are experiencing.
Problem 1. The Maple Leafs Don’t Play Well in the Neutral Zone
MacLean’s biggest beef was tactical. For a team with this much talent, Toronto looks lost between the blue lines. He called the neutral zone “one of the most critical coaching components there is,” and right now, it’s chaos. Players are chasing rather than anticipating, reacting rather than reading.
The Maple Leafs don’t have the puck often enough, and when they do, they don’t use it smartly. Opponents walk through the middle of the ice with ease, turning Toronto’s defensemen inside out.
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MacLean’s frustration comes from a coach’s eye. He’s watching a team that should know better. The neutral zone is where good teams win games without even realizing it. Right now, the Maple Leafs are losing there before the play ever reaches their own end.
Problem 2. The Maple Leafs’ Goaltending Cushion Is Gone
MacLean didn’t shy away from it: Toronto needs Joseph Woll back badly. He pointed out that last season, the tandem of Woll and Anthony Stolarz “got the Maple Leafs into the playoffs.” Their combined save percentage, over .926, gave the team a safety net it doesn’t have this campaign.
Stolarz’s early struggles and Woll’s absence have left Toronto exposed. When the goaltending wobbles, every defensive mistake looks worse — and right now, there are plenty of defensive mistakes to go around.
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MacLean’s point wasn’t just about numbers. It was about confidence. When your team knows the goalie will make a save, players relax and play with purpose. When they don’t, everyone starts to tighten up — and that’s how the Maple Leafs have looked.
Problem 3. The Maple Leafs Are a Team That Looks Slow
This might be the most damning part. MacLean said that, for weeks, he’s thought the Maple Leafs “looked slow.” Against Columbus, it finally jumped off the screen. Not physically slow — they’ve still got plenty of skaters who can fly — but mentally slow.
They look like a team thinking their way through every play instead of reacting instinctively. That’s what happens when a group doesn’t yet believe in its system. (Or, maybe the system isn’t sound. But so far, few fans and analysts are making that point.) Head coach Craig Berube’s trying to install structure, but it hasn’t clicked. The passes aren’t crisp, the reads aren’t sharp, and the whole thing feels half a beat behind.
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As MacLean put it, this is a “disjointed” team. You can sense it in the body language. The team’s hesitations, the broken line changes, the little moments where players glance around as if waiting for someone else to take charge.
Where Does That Leave Berube?
Even MacLean, who’s not afraid to criticize, admitted Berube probably has the most challenging job in hockey right now. Expectations are sky-high, the roster’s expensive, and yet the Maple Leafs look unsure of themselves. The irony is that this was supposed to be the season Toronto toughened up and found its edge. Instead, they look like a group trying to remember what made them dangerous in the first place.
MacLean didn’t rant (well, not too much). Instead, he just told the truth the way old hockey men do. No fancy stats, no spin. He’s watched enough teams come apart to know what it looks like.
And right now, he says, the Maple Leafs look exactly like they are coming apart.
