The most ridiculous thing in the history of the NHL might be the criticism of the Toronto Maple Leafs for losing the last three years in the first round of the NHL Playoffs.
The Toronto Maple Leafs should be praised for the success of their rebuild, not questioned about playoff success – which to this point is largely arbitrary.
There I was yesterday, driving in my car – and since it’s a rental with no CD Player, I was listening to sports radio. The host complained that the Leafs were all getting paid tons of money without having any results to show for it.
I hear and see this criticism all the time, but it makes no sense if you make even the smallest effort to contextualize it.
Losses – but in context
The Leafs are trying to change the template for what a contending hockey team looks like, and because of that people are quick to judge them – to point to their 3rd straight playoff loss and make declarations like “See, I told you this team couldn’t win in the playoffs.”
The Toronto Maple Leafs finished last and picked first overall just three seasons ago. So the fact that they were just a couple penalty kills or a kneeing call against Jake Debrusk from realistically playing for the Stanley Cup this year is incredible.
In their first season with Auston Matthews, they somehow made the playoffs and performed well against the Washington Capitals. It was a winnable series that just didn’t go their way, but it’s funny to imagine the different perception this team would have right now if they had of.
You can hardly fault a team that is rebuilding for losing in the first round of the playoffs when almost no one picked them to even be in the playoffs in the first place.
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In Their second year with Auston Matthews, the Leafs lost to the Bruins in seven games. Nazem Kadri was suspended and Freddie Andersen had the single worst game (in game seven) that he has had in 214 tries as a member of the Leafs.
Otherwise the Leafs win that one.
That brings us to this year. Despite hardly ever, if at all, dressing their optimal lineup, the Leafs still finished 7th overall.
Their reward for finishing so high in the standings was a match-up against the 2nd best team in the NHL.
So they played the Bruins again, this time with Travis Dermott and Jake Gardiner rendered ineffective by injury, Kadri again suspended, and Boston’s power-play scoring more than a goal per game.
The Leafs were the better 5v5 team, and they again lost in the seventh game.
It was a coin-flip loss against the NHL’s second best team.
Which is why the criticism about the Leafs being unable to win in the playoffs is stupid. The Leafs are three years into a full-scale rebuild and have lost three playoff series that were all basically coin-flips.
Without changing a single thing, the Toronto Maple Leafs could be 3-0 in the first round, instead of 0-3.
It’s Been an Incredible Run So Far
The Leafs needed about 12 weird things to go wrong for them in order to lose to Boston, who were the second best team in the NHL. They were also deserving of an easier first round match-up, and regardless, they could easily have gone to the Finals if they won.
The Leafs also have a significantly better roster than the team who actually took the Cup home.
I’m not saying that the results don’t matter – they do. But context matters more. The Leafs are about to enter year four of their rebuild. They’ve got six or so of the best players in the NHL (Matthews, Marner, Nylander, Tavares, Rielly, Andersen) and their entire roster is one of the deepest in the league.
They should enter the season as one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup, and should compete for division and league titles. If, after several years of this, they fail to get any tangible results, feel free to complain as much as you want.
But up to this point – other than just a bit of puck luck in the playoffs – the rebuild of the Toronto Maple Leafs is 100% successful so far.