It’s time for yet another Maple Leafs playoff run with the same nucleus of star players who know the feeling of heartbreak and unfulfilled expectations all too well.
That storyline is the only one that matters for the Leafs going into Game 1 against the Ottawa Senators this weekend.
The positive takeaway from the regular season, which concludes Thursday at home to the Detroit Red Wings, is this organization has given us a much different feel going into the post-season than the previous eight attempts.
Under the guidance of a different coaching staff, led by Craig Berube and his meat-and-potatoes style, these Atlantic Division leaders are centred on a robust defensive approach, built from the net out.
º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøis no longer solely dependent on the peak performances of five key players: Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, John Tavares and Morgan Rielly. The strategy designed by former general manager Kyle Dubas was all about possessing the puck and hoping they would make the magic happen.
Marner has his first 100-point season, Matthews scores his 400th career goal, and the Leafs win the Atlantic Division for the first time.
Marner has his first 100-point season, Matthews scores his 400th career goal, and the Leafs win the Atlantic Division for the first time.
Those five faces are still here, but what has certainly changed is the philosophy of how to help them win.
Gone are the constant chances off the rush. The focus now is simply on getting pucks in deep, and because of that these Leafs are more risk-averse than any other team in the Matthews era.
With Dubas long gone, president Brendan Shanahan made a gutsy decision to not only keep all five core players but to reinforce them with significant upgrades that started in goal.
Ilya Samsonov’s departure was followed by the vote of confidence in Joseph Woll and his new $11-million (U.S.) contract. They backed him up with a big, quality goaltender in Stanley Cup champion Anthony Stolarz.
No one could have anticipated what Stolarz would bring to the team from Day 1. To say he has outperformed expectations would be the understatement of the year, and now he’s the likely starter for Game 1. His ability to play well in tandem with Woll has given Leafs fans a look reminiscent of Terry Sawchuk and Johnny Bower.
Reshaping the blue line with big bodies was next on the list and it started with signing the shot-blocking, shutdown defenceman Chris Tanev, who is every goalie’s dream. He’s seldom out of position and has given the Leafs exactly what GM Brad Treliving wanted when he first tried to trade for him last season.
The forward position is where we have to wonder if the Leafs did enough. If you focus solely on growth and development, Matthew Knies’ emergence as one of the better power forwards in the league is a big improvement on the left side. Bobby McMann’s scoring ability and Steven Lorentz’s physicality will be welcome additions to the playoff lineup.
But the main concern facing the Leafs is something that has plagued them throughout this NHL-best streak of playoff appearances: Will there be enough offence when it’s needed most? The Leafs will be relying on meaningful offensive contributions from role players like Max Domi, Nick Robertson, Pontus Holmberg, Scott Laughton, David Kämpf and Calle Järnkrok.
If you look back at all the disappointing Game 6s and 7s, the failures really fell on missed scoring opportunities and an inability to generate enough offence, both at even strength and on the power play. That blanket fell on everyone, not just the big boys.
But it’s the big boys who carry all the weight in this town. And that is where these Stanley Cup playoffs come full circle for the Leafs.
Over the course of four head-to-head playoff series in five years, it was a lot of fun for the Maple Leafs, and not so much for the Ottawa Senators.
Over the course of four head-to-head playoff series in five years, it was a lot of fun for the Maple Leafs, and not so much for the Ottawa Senators.
All the goodwill and optimism during the regular season will once again mean nothing if this spring falls short. Should the Leafs fail to get past the Senators, the repercussions for Shanahan and others below him will be significant.
It’s been said at the start of post-seasons past and it’s even more true today: The stakes are undeniably higher than ever for this group, particularly with the Marner and Tavares contracts expiring this summer.
Leafs fans who have demonstrated unwavering loyalty despite the disappointments have reached their breaking point. The emotional losses of past seasons have left scars that could only be healed by either a deep run toward a Stanley Cup or the proverbial heads rolling.
These playoffs mark a pivotal moment for the franchise, one that could either solidify its status as an elite NHL contender for years to come or lead to that major overhaul many fans thought should have happened years ago. Without being an alarmist, what the next 10 years look like may hinge on the Leafs’ performance starting this weekend.
The pieces are in place for this team to succeed this post-season: special teams, goaltending, scoring up and down the lineup.
At least the regular season showed us the Leafs finally have a vision of what playoff hockey can be. There’s nothing left for them to do but get the job done.
Kyper’s Korner
• Kings top scorer Adrian Kempe for what was described at the time as “family commitments.” Turned out he and his wife were expecting their first child.
• Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner and his wife are also awaiting the arrival of their first child and it could happen during the first round in the Battle of Ontario. Could be interesting times for Leafs Nation if the baby is actually born on a game night.
• If the Seattle Kraken restructure their management group in the off-season, there are many who think former Sabres GM Jason Botterill is positioned to take on a much bigger role. He currently serves as Seattle’s assistant GM.
• Some NHL agents are declining to go to Los Angeles for this year’s new decentralized draft. Beyond servicing a small newly drafted client list, many agents use the event to get their unrestricted free agents set up for signing on July 1. With no NHL management teams making the trip, there’s little incentive to attend.
Changed my mind on …
The NHL draft decentralizing. I know the old format was far from great TV but the respective host cities and their fans still loved it. Bring it back in 2026.
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