Predicting the Toronto Maple Leafs Path Through the Qualifying Round
The Toronto Maple Leafs begin their quest for the Stanley Cup on August 2, 2020. First up, they’ll win their play-in series and move on to the next round.
Sunday, August 2 can’t come soon enough for the Toronto Maple Leafs and their fanbase, as the team continues to prepare for the start of the post-season.
Joining the pool of 16 other teams battling it out through the Qualifying Round, the 8th seed Maple Leafs will faceoff against the 9th place Columbus Blue Jackets. The winner then enters the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
At first glance, comparing the seasons of these organizations, this would seem like a fairly balanced series. Both teams earned similar records and achieved 81 points each, respectively.
Toronto scored 238 times, while Columbus only tallied 180. However, the Blue Jackets let in 187 goals against all year as compared to the 227 the Maple Leafs allowed.
One franchise clearly more prolific at putting pucks in their opponent’s net, while the other was obviously much more effective at keeping them out of their own.
For the type of talent this Toronto team has throughout its lineup, and even after achieving some successes along the way, it would be fair to say they had a disappointing 2019-20 season.
However, the post-season provides them with an opportunity to write a different ending to this story.
Relaxed, Rested, Ready
With the NHL’s pause in mid-March, getting back to gameplay will essentially create a brand new opportunity for everyone involved. For those in a playoff position, the regular season is irrelevant now.
Time off meant injuries could heal and energies could rejuvenate. It also gave those most dedicated the chance to not only maintain their fitness levels, but bring them to new heights.
Certainly, it’s fair to assume that not every athlete spent their time off partaking in the same routines. And, soon enough, we’ll see who put themselves in the best possible position to succeed when things resume.
If clips from Toronto’s training camps are any indication of what to expect of them in real game action, then I’d say they’re where they want to be heading into this tournament.
https://twitter.com/MapleLeafs/status/1286460817798504449?s=20
Toronto clearly has scoring talent scattered throughout their lineup, which is something Columbus will need to worry about. After being part of the NHL’s goal-scoring race all season, Auston Matthews showed no signs of slowing that pace down.
That said, the Blue Jackets showcased a more effective shutdown game throughout the year and they have some marque players re-joining their roster which will enhance their efforts.
With all that the NHL’s Return to Play Plan entails, this would be the toughest path the Toronto Maple Leafs have ever had to face to win the Stanley Cup. But before considering the ultimate prize, they have to get through Columbus first.
Here’s my game by game breakdown of Toronto’s Qualifying Round.