Last year, on November 15th, the Toronto Maple Leafs were 10-5-1, having played 16 games.
This year, same date, the Toronto Maple Leafs are 8-5-3, which is pretty much the same record, the only difference being that the Leafs lost two games in OT this season that they didn’t last year.
The records may be similar, but this year’s version of the Leafs is superior.
The narrative is that they haven’t gotten off to a very good start, but like every single narrative surrounding any sport, at any time, there is a much more complicated and interesting story below the surface.