#1: Mar. 10 vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
The last time the Leafs faced the Lightning was on Tuesday, which the Toronto Maple Leafs won pretty convincingly by a score of 4-2.
A lot has changed in the span of a week.
The Lightning went from being arguably the hottest team in the league to going 1-4-0 in their last five games. They’ve clearly slowed down, and that could continue to happen. After all, their captain, Steven Stamkos, will be out 6-8 weeks after undergoing a core muscle surgery for an injury he sustained on Tuesday against the Leafs.
The Lightning also have a tough schedule coming up, with two upcoming stints against the division-leading Boston Bruins. If they fall to the Bruins either once or twice, they might not be as hot against the Leafs. This is surely a winnable game for Toronto.
But this game is also for-sure watch because of the fact that the Lightning will likely be the Leafs first-round matchup in the playoffs. It will be a preview in a way because the Leafs will have to prove that they can beat them at least twice in a row, let alone a seven game series.