Same Story, Different Season: Hard to Take This League Seriously Watching the Leafs Right Now

A huge part of the reason the Toronto Maple Leafs have been so successful in recent years has been due to their ability to take advantage of the power play and put up some pretty gaudy numbers.

Led by a five-forward contingent that made for a rapid-fire flurry of passes, it wouldn't take long before the Maple Leafs would find the back of the net.

However, their history with getting calls in their favor has shown that while they've succeeded on the man advantage they haven't been necessarily getting all the chances they should:

Toronto for the last decade has been under scrutiny from the officiating and while they have no issues calling the Leafs for penalties, it seems they are a bit hesitant on giving them a break.

Their best finish was 16th, and they've averaged a placement of 24th in the league over that ten season span; it's been a tale of two situations. It's a genuine surprise that the team can actually be fair successful with the minimal chances they get.

While we could put on our tinfoil hats and say that the referees are trying to get one over on the Maple Leafs, it would be a truly egregious abuse of power and one that shouldn't be allowed.

But it echoes other instances where Toronto gets the short end of the stick, such as scheduling issues and getting primetime viewership.

This is the NHL's most profitable franchise by over half a billion dollars; you would think they'd like to keep that going.

Though this season has not been the power play start they had hoped for, which might have to do with Mitch Marner's absence however starting 0-7 is not something to panic about.

They'll get their chances, and if they themselves can stay out of the penalty box and get a little more leverage with the referees, perhaps it can buy them a couple extra breaks over the course of an 82-game season.

For now though, they are going to have to take what they can get from the NHL referees but at least they are doing their best with what's been given to them.

The Toronto Maple Leafs power play has been the same story for the last decade, however they are looking to write a new chapter regardless, one that ends with them lifting the Stanley Cup.