More photos » Frank Franklin II - AP

5 months ago: Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Vesa Toskala, left, of Finland, stands near teammates Matt Stajan (14) and Luke Schenn (2) as the New York Rangers celebrate a goal by Ryan Callahan during the first period of an NHL hockey game Monday, Oct. 12, 2009, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

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I won't keep you in suspense.  Yes, it does.  Toronto actually spends a below-average amount of time at 4-on-5, but that's primarily because they give up so many goals that their penalty-kills end early.  Their 4-on-5 save percentage tells the story:

(You can see league-wide data here for 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10.)

It would be nice to blame that all on Vesa Toskala, but he's fundamentally a league-average goaltender, as hard as that may be to accept.  No, the problem is with the Leafs PK.  Let's take a look at the last two seasons:

So the Leafs weren't great in 2007-08 and they were basically the worst in the league in 2008-09.  (In case you were wondering, they've given up 103 shots/60 this season, at an average distance of 28.3 ft.  But it's early yet.)  It doesn't matter who you have in goal - their stats aren't going to look good when you're this bad defensively.  If Toskala had played behind a league-average defense, you'd think he was a league-average goalie, because that's basically what he is.  There's no goalie in the entire league - perhaps in history - who the Leafs could have ridden to the 8th playoff spot in the East last year.