Toronto Maple Leafs: Way Too Early Eastern Playoff Predictions

The Toronto Maple Leafs have made the post season.

Though it’s anyone’s guess if the actual games will be played, the Toronto Maple Leafs are scheduled to play the Columbus Blue Jackets at some point later this summer.

Because of the off time, and the general weirdness of the situation, teams are going to perform in radically different ways than we expect.

These playoffs will be completely unpredictable, but then again, most hockey games in today’s NHL are a coin-flip anyways.

So let’s have so fun and make some predictions.  Of course, they are way too early, but whatever!

Eastern Conference Predictions

These series will be best of five, and winners will take on the division leaders, plus Tampa.

Toronto vs Columbus

You don’t lose a top-five player in the NHL and get better, but that is what happened to the Blue jackets.  Except, it didn’t.  Not really.

What actually happened was that their goalies fluked out and finished 5th overall in 5v5 save percentage.  They aren’t  a good team, so Leafs in three.

Montreal vs Pittsburgh

Big potential upset here because Carey Price’s decline has been massively oversold, while the Penguins can’t expect to keep getting the goaltending they’ve been getting.

Also, the Canadiens are super underrated and actually have some of the better overall team stats in the league.  Expect the Canadiens to win in four.

Carolina vs New York

Is there are team in the NHL easier to cheer against than the one that dressed Tony DeAngleo and Brendan Lemieux?  No, probably not.

The Hurricanes, featuring my favorite player (Jake Gardiner) and one of the best rosters in the NHL will have no trouble with the Broadway Blueshirts.

Although watching them still reminds that the Toronto Maple Leafs should have had Dougie Hamilton, I will be cheering for the Hurricanes.

They should get it done in three.

Florida vs Long Island

You couldn’t make a worse and less appealing matchup if you tried to do it on purpose.  Two of the league’s worst ran teams facing off and one of them getting an automatic trip to the next round.

Ugh.

The Islanders are terrible and do not have Jonathan Huberdau or Sasha Barkov on their team, so they won’t win.

Sergei Bobrovsky will most likely think it’s a new season and play amazingly, since he likes to alternate between being an MVP worthy goalie and an AHL worthy one.

Panthers in two, due to the Islanders just quitting half way through game three.

Those are your predictions.