Leafs' performance since the departure of Marc Savard truly eye-opening

Picking up momentum is of the utmost importance for the Toronto Maple Leafs heading into 2026 as they have their work cut out for them if they want to have any chance of qualifying for the post-season for a 10th straight year.

One of the reasons they struggled through the first half was because of their 32nd ranked power play, which eventually cost assistant coach Marc Savard his job. It might have been a blessing in disguise, because the Leafs have been white hot since Steve Sullivan took over his role.

The power play that was 12-for-90 before Sullivan took over has scored a goal in every game thus far and is currently 5-for-10 since moving on from Savard. It's a small sample size, but the Leafs had previously scored 5 power play goals in a 20-game stretch on 51 attempts.

Additionally, the offense has scored 25 goals in 5 games, while averaging 30 shots per game, which has produced a strong run of 4-0-1; the second of it's kind this season and first since the beginning of December.

You can dig even further and look at the offensive players who were struggling before Savard's dismissal. Auston Matthews has 8 points in his last 3 games, William Nylander has 5 points in the 2 games he's played, Matthew Knies has 7 points in 5 games, Max Domi and John Tavares have 6 points each, and Matias Maccelli, Bobby McMann, and Nicholas Robertson each have 5 points.

It has been a remarkable turnaround, but the Leafs have to continue pushing as the schedule gets more hectic before the Olympic Break. They have 17 games in the next 30 days with 2 back-to-back sets and games against really tough opponents like Colorado, Edmonton, Minnesota, and Vegas.

If they can keep producing, then there's no reason they can't continue climbing the standings. The Leafs are a team known for their offensive firepower and they're finally flexing it, led by the former MVP and captain of the team Auston Matthews, fresh off of a hat-trick.

Sullivan's energy has proven to be infectious but only time will tell if he can continue to push all the right buttons in the next coming weeks. With the Leafs just 2 points out of a playoff spot, it's going to be an exciting month of action before the Olympic Break.