The Toronto Maple Leafs have just concluded one of their best regular seasons of all-time, followed by one of the most disappointing playoff performances of all-time.
Finishing with a record of 35-14-7 the Toronto Maple Leafs have won just their third division title in team history. As pathetic as this is in the big picture, it also makes it a really special accomplishment for this group of players. Though, it must be said, one that has dulled considerably since the playoff loss to the Montreal Canadiens.
The Leafs tore through the Canadian Division (as predicted) and found themselves playing an opening round series against the Montreal Canadiens, something that hasn’t happened since 1979, 42 years ago.
Of course this is mostly because the Leafs were in the West (why?) for so long, and the two teams could only meet up in the event of a Stanley Cup Final. This famously almost occurred in 1993 but….well there’s no need to rehash that..
The Leafs success this season is due to many reasons – first and foremost, team MVP Auston Matthews, but also the great cast that surrounds him, including the player that may just have put this roster over the top – T.J Brodie. And yes, I do consider this a successful season. The Playoffs were disappointing, but what can you do? (all stats for this article from naturalstattrick.com).
Sorry for the long intro, let’s get on with it. Here are your Toronto Maple Leafs 2021 regular season grades.