Well, wouldn’t it be something if the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Pittsburgh Penguins faced each other in the first round of the Playoffs?
With the Capitals losing four straight games, the Penguins now trail them by one point. Pittsburgh has a game in hand. The Penguins look like they are in post-season mode, winning five games straight.
Meanwhile, the Toronto Maple Leafs, hold onto the last wild card playoff spot, making one wonder, what if? What if the Pens win the Metropolitan division? What if the Toronto Maple Leafs make the playoffs, but also cannot catch the Bruins? A matchup between the Penguins and Leafs would undoubtedly be an uphill battle for the latter team, but it would mean so much more then just who can progress to the second round.
The Past
In case anyone needs reminding, in 2013, the Toronto Maple Leafs lost to the Boston Bruins in the first round. It was the first time they made the playoffs in nine years.
They had a strong core of players consisting of James Van Riemsdyk, Dion Phaneuf, Joffrey Lupul, Nazem Kadri and of course, Phil Kessel. Despite leading the team in scoring every year, Kessel got criticism from his fans for being lethargic, quiet and awkward. Three qualities that made him look like he was not taking his role as seriously as he could. When Kessel got traded, it seemed like he had a weight lifted off his shoulder, as he went on to to thrive on the Penguins, whose three-line offensive system led to a championship. During this time without Kessel, the Leafs went into a rebuild mode.
After compiling draft picks and trading for prospects, the Toronto Maple Leafs boast the best young core in the league. The Leafs fans have had a very difficult time the past few years during this rebuild. In fact, this has been going on for a lot longer than just two years. When Shanahan came in, he said he wanted to do the rebuild “the right way,” a strategy that has worked for many dynasties, especially…. the Penguins.
It feels like the Penguins have always been good, as if the transition from the Lemieux to Crosby era was smooth, but let’s not forget the rebuild the Penguins went through. Every year from 2002 to 2006, the Penguins owned a top five pick . Here is when they drafted Ryan Whitney, Marc-Andre Fleury, Jordan Staal, Evgeni Malkin, and a guy named Sidney Crosby. It is so easy to forget tough times when the going gets good.
The Future
Fast forward to 2017, the Leafs have a new face of the franchise, and he’s nothing like Phil Kessel. Matthews is quiet…. and a little awkward…. and… actually never mind, he is a lot like Phil Kessel. With other superstar prospects like Mitch Marner and William Nylander along his side, it seems almost impossible for Matthews to suffer the same fate as Phil. In fact, Matthews will probably end up being the captain of the team sooner or later.
When looking at the makeup of the Penguins, they have so many similarities to the Leafs. Both teams went through a rebuild, and both teams have their franchise center, who they look to in order to bring them success. The Penguins have been no stranger to success making one wonder whether the Leafs can reach the bar the Penguins have set and even raise that bar higher.
At this point, it is pretty optimistic to say the Leafs may win two cups in the next ten years, but with better management than the Penguins, a stronger prospect pool other than the top three, and a fanbase craving greatness, I say why not.
The Present
With 15 games left, anything can happen. If the stars do align, this will not be an easy series for the Maple Leafs. Here is a breakdown of this potential matchup.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Record: 43-16-8
Point Total: 94
Goal Differential: +50
5v5 Corsi For%: 51.0 (10th)
5v5 Corsi For/60: 59.0 (4th)
5v5 Corsi Against/60: 56.8 (22nd)
5v5 Team Shooting %: 8.49 (6th)
5v5 Team Save %: 92.79 (8th)
Powerplay%: 22.6 (3rd)
Penalty Kill%: 80.5 (19th)
Toronto Maple Leafs
Record: 31-22-14
Point Total: 76
Goal Differential: +5
5v5 Corsi For%: 50.3 (16th)
5v5 Corsi For/60: 60.0 (2nd)
5v5 Corsi Against/60: 59.4 (28th)
5v5 Team Shooting %: 8.35 (8th)
5v5 Team Save %: 92.28 (17th)
Powerplay%: 23.5 (2nd)
Penalty Kill%: 82.9 (9th)
Even when looking at their work this year, the Leafs and Pens are a lot more similar than what people might think. Both teams are constructed of three scoring lines and a shaky defense. Both coaches like to split up their top players in order to make it difficult for their opposition to match up against them, and clearly it works. In addition, both of their defenses’ is built upon mobile skaters who are looking to hold the blue lines and push the puck up the ice. This system results in having the puck a lot more, but also in many more noticeable costly turnovers, something Leafs fans are quickly getting accustomed to. For those having a bit of a tougher time accepting this fact might want to talk to Pens fans about how to cope with this added stress.
Although the Maple Leafs might not actually win, I think they can really give the Penguins a good series. This is the perfect test for a young group with a “nothing to lose mentality”. Although at the beginning of the season I predicted the Leafs would be right in the playoff race, it is still amazing for this to be a topic of discussion at this point of the year. As stated above, this series would mean so much more than who can progress to the second round of playoffs. This series would be a window of how far the Leafs have come in a short while. It would be a taste of meaningful playoff hockey for not only the players but also the fans who have wanted this so bad. And finally, watching the Penguins could be like looking into a crystal ball for what is in store for the Leafs’ future.
Toronto Maple Leafs
What do you think about this potential first round matchup? Are you happy of where the Leafs are at this point in the season? Comment below!
All statistics taken from stats.hockeyanalysis.com and corsica.hockey