Can the Toronto Leafs finally make the playoffs

The Toronto Maple Leafs are facing a pretty tough situation right now. Will the Leafs make the playoffs? Honestly, it depends on whether they can fix multiple problems and fast. They're sitting at 25th in the NHL with a 12-11-3 record, which is serious trouble after making the playoffs last year and winning their first-round series.

The odds are stacked against them right now

The numbers don't lie here. Sportsbooks favor the Leafs to miss the playoffs at -130 to -150 odds, meaning betting against them is the safer bet. MoneyPuck, a trusted analytics site, gives Toronto only an 11.2% chance to make the postseason. That's worse odds than getting the first overall draft pick, which is pretty rough.

Their road record makes things even scarier. The Leafs are 4-7-0 away from home (yikes), which kills your playoff chances. They also allow 3.46 goals per game, fifth-worst in the entire league. When you can't defend, and can't win on the road, the math simply doesn't work out.

What has to change for them to turn it around

Three big fixes are necessary. First, they need key players back healthy. Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Matthew Knies have all missed time. When your best scorers sit out, everything falls apart pretty quickly.

Second the defense needs a complete overhaul. Allowing 3.46 goals against per game isn't acceptable for a team trying to make playoffs. They have to tighten up, especially in the first and second periods.

Third, they must exploit a weaker Atlantic Division The Florida Panthers and Boston Bruins are strugling too This gives Toronto a real oportunity if they can get their act together The loss of Mitch Marner to Vegas created a scoring gap they haven't filled yet.

Matthews especially needs to step up. Nylander and John Tavares are performing well but Matthews must produce more. When your franchise player doesn't deliver, everything becomes harder (way harder).

Improvement is possible. The Leafs made the playoffs last year and won a first-round series. They have the talent. But everything needs to click at once, better health, tighter defense, and improved road performance. Right now they're trending the wrong direction.

Watch their next ten games closely. If they keep losing, expect big moves before the trade deadline. If they can string together wins and get healthy, that 11.2% playoff chance could climb fast.