The never ending media circus surrounding the Leafs has had a few main targets in the early going of this season. John Tavares is struggling. What’s up with Matthews? Will the secondary scoring pick up?

One question, however, loomed larger than the rest: What in the world is wrong with the power play?

As recent as last Sunday against the Minnesota Wild, the Leafs power play was rattling along at a roughly 7% clip. The scoreboard graphics indicated they were between 30th and 32nd in the league, a horrendous mark considering the money and talent invested in the players in question.

Sure, at times it looked okay. The Leafs were stringing together power plays where they held the puck well, got a few shots, maybe had one or two good scoring chances. Enough to think, they’ll score on the next one. But the next one would come, and they wouldn’t.

For a team built to be more defensively sound than last year, at the cost of some offensive production, having a good power play will surely be critical. Loading up a line with Matthews, Marner, Nylander, Tavares, and Rielly, with the opponents a man short? It should be an absolute shooting gallery. But it wasn’t. And then Matthews got hurt.

There is no logical way that subtracting Auston Matthews from any facet of the Leafs improves them. He’s the best player on the team, an offensive menace who gets Selke votes. There’s a case to be made he’s the second best player in the world, sans McDavid (it depends how you see Nathan MacKinnon and Nikita Kucherov, but there’s a case to be made).

Well, throw logic out the window. The Leafs power play fixed itself overnight without their captain. Tuesday night in Toronto, against the Boston Bruins, the Leafs put three power play goals past Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman. Matthew Knies, who essentially slotted into the top unit in Matthews’ absence, had a field day, parking himself in front of the Bruins net and wreaking havoc with the defense. He had a goal and an assist on the power play, and played a starring role in all three goals en-route to a 4-0 Toronto victory.

Then, in a Friday night clash with the Detroit Red Wings, the Leafs did it again. Still without Matthews, this time former captain John Tavares took the wheel, mucking it up in front of the net on Mitch Marner’s goal before sniping a goal of his own for the eventual winner.

Five power play goals in two games is wild, and it rockets the Leafs power play unit to 16th in the league, converting at an 18.4% clip. If they keep it going against Montreal tonight, it’ll rise even further. If the team can maintain this new momentum when Matthews is back?

Look out.