The Toronto Maple Leafs have started the season off on the right foot. Their current record is 7-2-1 for 15 points after the month of January. That has them sitting in first place of the North Division.
The Month of February will start off sounding like a broken record as the Toronto Maple Leafs will play three straight home games against the Vancouver Canucks. Luckily for both teams, they have a day off in between each of the games.
Next up on the schedule will be a home and home series against the Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens and Leafs are the top dogs in the North Division, so this should be a good series.
Toronto will then host the Ottawa Senators for three games. Two of the games will be on back to back nights. The Leafs will then travel to Montreal for one game before returning to Toronto to host the Calgary Flames.
The Flames will be in town for two games, and then Toronto will leave for Edmonton and end the month with the first game of a three-game series against the Oilers that will carry over into March.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Vancouver Canucks
The Canucks had a slow start to their season with a 2-5-0 record before pulling off four wins in a row and now sit in third place in the North Division with a 6-5-0 record and 12 points. Those 12 points have them sitting even with the second-place Montreal Canadiens.
The Canadiens just so happen to be the next opponent for the Canucks before they head to Toronto. Depending on how that two-game series goes with the Canadiens, Vancouver could be the first place team by the time they play the Maple Leafs.
Toronto will be well-rested after four days off before hosting the Canucks on February 4th. That could be a good thing or a bad thing. After four days off, the Leafs could come out flat, and if the Canucks are in full game mode, they might be able to take that first of three games. On the other hand, the rest could help the Maple Leafs beat a tired Canucks team.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens could be sitting in first place of the division by the time they have their home and home series with the Leafs. After their series with the Canucks, the Canadiens will play two games against the last-place Ottawa Senators.
The Canadiens could win all four of their next four games or at least three out of four. Depending on how well the Toronto Maple Leafs do against the Canucks, the series against the Canadiens could be a battle for first place.
The first game will see the Canadiens hosting the Leafs in Montreal on February 10th. It will be the 820th meeting between the two historic rivals. There will then be two days off before the Leafs will host the Canadiens in Toronto on February 13th.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Ottawa Senators
The Maple Leafs’ second series against the Senators will be a battle of three games in four nights. It will be an intense battle of Ontario, and the Leafs will need to make sure they don’t take the Senators lightly.
It never seems to matter where each team is in the standings, these two teams are always in a battle. With the North Division teams being so close in the standings, Toronto should be looking at these three games as must-win.
During the back to back games on February 17th and 18th, it might be the first game of the season for Michael Hutchinson if Jack Campbell is not back in the lineup by then. Campbell is currently out with a leg injury.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Montreal Canadiens
Before the Leafs host the Calgary Flames for a two-game series in Toronto, the Leafs will have an away game in Montreal against the Canadiens. It could once again be a battle for first place in the North Division.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Calgary Flames
When the Leafs host the Flames on February 22nd and 24th, it will be a heated battle. Tempers mounted after the two teams played each other on January 26th. After the final buzzer sounded to end tha game, Maple Leafs’ defenseman Jake Muzzin flicked the puck at Falmes forward Matthew Tkachuk.
As Tkachuk attempted to fight Muzzin in what only turned out to be a small scuffle between the two teams, a fight never took place. This is something that could and most likely will boil over into this next series.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs Edmonton Oilers
The Leafs will end the month of February with the first game of a three-game series against the Oilers in Edmonton. These two teams have played each other four times already with each team winning two games.
It is always entertaining when we get to watch a series that includes two of the NHL’s biggest superstars in Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid. This series is the start of a five-game road trip for the Leafs that continues into March.
It could be a very important road trip for the Maple Leafs in regards to where they will be in the North Division by then.
The fact that the Leafs will play three teams in three games each could make a huge impact on the North Division standings. I am looking forward to the rematch against the Flames at the end of the month. My prediction for the Maple Leafs in February is that they will go 8-2-2 for 18 points, which would give them 33 points after 22 games.