The Toronto Maple Leafs suffered a 4-1 defeat to the New York Rangers on Saturday night, though the game was essentially 2-1 before the empty-net goals. Coupled with their unfortunate loss to the Montreal Canadiens in the season opener, the Leafs could easily be sitting at 5-0.

Instead, they find themselves at 3-2, with both defeats occurring in regulation, giving them a rather unimpressive record.

Chris Tanev and Anthony Stolarz have both made strong starts with the team. The new coach is experiencing some growing pains as he experiments with strategies that Sheldon Keefe had previously abandoned. While it’s a work in progress, he seems to be managing well.

Now, let’s take a look at the standings. (from NHL.com).

Toronto Maple Leafs + NHL Standings Update – First of the Year
The Atlantic Division is predictably competitive early in the season, with the Panthers off to an impressive start and leading the pack as expected division champions.

The Leafs are currently tied for third with six points, alongside Tampa and Ottawa, who have similar records. The Canadiens and Sabres, who have played seven games, are just one point behind, while the Red Wings sit at the bottom with a 2-3 record. The Atlantic Division appears strong, although the Sabres are struggling at 2-5.

The Winnipeg Jets remain the NHL’s only undefeated team with just four games played. Dallas and New Jersey are the only teams with five wins, though the Devils have played eight games.

The Stars, Rangers, and Utah are all having impressive starts in the 2024-25 season.

Some of the biggest surprises this year are coming from the Eastern Conference. The Oilers are off to a rough start at 2-4, a trend that likely won’t continue. The Avalanche are faring even worse with a 1-4 record, finding themselves stuck between Philadelphia and San Jose in the standings.

The worst team so far is the Nashville Predators, sitting at 0-5. After making the playoffs last year with an incredible run, their management overestimated their team’s potential, leading to poor investments in older players this summer.

The Predators need to improve quickly or risk being nearly eliminated from playoff contention by Halloween. As for the Leafs, they’ve started well, but fans hope to see them secure victories when they are the stronger team.