Toronto Maple Leafs Exactly Where They Were Expected to Be

After a pair of tough losses against the Buffalo Sabres and the Vancouver Canucks, the Toronto Maple Leafs now sit eighth in the Eastern Conference with 35 points.

Depending on who you asked before the season started, the Leafs were contenders for the Northeast Division title, basement dwellers or somewhere in between.

They did sit atop their division at one point. While everyone was loving it in Toronto, few expected them to be able to stay there for long.

On paper and on the ice, the Boston Bruins are a better team than the Toronto Maple Leafs. This is not up for debate.

However, it can be argued that the Leafs are second best team in the division.

The Ottawa Senators are overachieving while the Montreal Canadiens and the Buffalo Sabres are largely underachieving.

The Leafs have had moments of both in the past couple of months.

But let's be honest: prior to the season opener, didn't most people have the Leafs pegged as a bubble team this year?

Only delusional non-Leaf fans who were blinded by hate considered the 2011-12 Maple Leafs to be destined for the Eastern Conference cellar.

Only delusional Leaf fans had them finishing top four in the conference.

The Leafs played well in October and parts of November, but their schedule wasn't exactly tough. That's not to say certain players didn't play well, because they certainly did and deserve credit.

About two-and-a-half months into the season, we have a pretty good idea of where the team's strengths and weaknesses lie.

For example, the Leafs are one of eight teams that have scored 100 or more goals.

The Leafs are also one of seven teams that have allowed 100 or more goals.

The Leafs are second in the league in power play proficiency at 22.3 percent.

They are dead last in penalty killing at 73.2 percent.

Two measly points separate the eighth-place Leafs and the twelfth-place Canadiens. Nobody expects the Leafs to finish twelfth, but they were certainly expected to be in a bitter fight all season long for the eighth playoff spot.

Like it or not, things seem to be returning to normal for the Leafs.

Granted, they haven't been eighth for very long. They've still got plenty of time to recover lost ground, but there are some facts you cannot ignore.

Certain things have to be fixed and changed before we can all agree that the Leafs will be serious playoff contenders (as opposed to a bubble team), much less division or Cup contenders.