Playoff Preview: Toronto Maple Leafs vs Montreal Canadiens

The Toronto Maple Leafs will play the Montreal Canadiens in the first round of the 2021 Playoffs

After grinding through the offseason, the Toronto Maple Leafs clinched the top spot in the Scotia North Division. In the first round of the playoffs, they will play against their longtime rivals, the Montreal Canadiens.

The two teams have a history that goes way back to 1917 when the NHL held its first season. Thus far, they played 757 games against each other, with the Habs edging the Leafs by 37 games.

Now, the two teams will battle it out in a seven-game series to advance to the second round. While Montreal made it that far back in 2015, the Leafs haven’t passed the first round since 2004. Enough about the past; let’s get ready for this year.

The Playoffs officially started on May 15th, but Toronto doesn’t play until May 20th. That’s when the first and fourth-placed teams in the Scotia North Division will kickoff Game 1.

What follows is a complete breakdown on every aspect of the game, in an effort to determine each teams strengths and weaknesses.