Toronto Maple Leafs Season Could Be Over In 5 Days

As we look forward with optimism for the Toronto Maple Leafs postseason, it’s hard to believe that it could be over in five days.

The Toronto Maple Leafs play their first game on August 2 and their season could be over on August 6 for all we know.

Whether it happens to the Toronto Maple Leafs or another team, it’s incredibly likely that a teams season will be over before they’ve finished unpacking in the bubble.

The playoff system could be a lot like a new album from your favourite artist.

Over the past few months, we’ve slowly been going from Phase 1 to Phase 3, which is essentially like the three singles an artist releases.

We get a little taste from that album and then now that we’re at Phase 4, the entire album has been released.

And then 45 minutes later, you’ve listened to every song and the build up for that new album is gone. Just like that.

It’s very similar to how we could feel with the Toronto Maple Leafs season.

Toronto Maple Leafs Season Could Be Over in Days

Over the past four months, we’ve seen little glimpses of the action. Whether it was tweets of Auston Matthews and Fredrick Andersen having fun in Arizona, or video game streams with Mitch Marner and Zach Hyman, we’ve been able to stay connected to our favourite team in small doses.

Now that Training Camp has come and gone, the real action is about to start and we’re going to get back in touch with our favourite hockey team.

When the Toronto Maple Leafs return to action against the Columbus Blue Jackets, they’re going to be the favourite in that series from a gambling perspective. Although they don’t technically have home-ice advantage, they should still feel a sense of familiarity by playing in their home arena for every game until the Conference Finals.

Although the team will be in a bubble for the next few months, the players that call Toronto home will have a great advantage knowing that their friends and family are close. Although they can’t actually meet up with them in the bubble, there’s a calmness that comes from knowing that your loved ones are only a few kilometres away, even though you can’t see them in person.

The Toronto Maple Leafs players will not be able to travel anywhere like the rest of the teams in the NHL, but being in a city you know should make it a lot less likely to get ‘homesick’ compared to players from the Pittsburgh Penguins or Boston Bruins for example.

Either way, it’s quite possible that Toronto’s season will be finished in a matter of days. The Blue Jackets are a really good hockey team and the Leafs better be taking them serious. They may not have a long resume of Stanley Cup Championships in Columbus, but under John Tortorella, you know you’re going to be facing a team ready for battle.

Like many other Toronto Maple Leafs fans, we’ve been waiting four months for meaningful hockey, so let’s hope it’s not over in a few days.

I doubt it happens, but in 2020 anything is possible.