Toronto Maple Leafs Off-Season May Officially Begin Tonight

The Toronto Maple Leafs haven’t played in weeks, but the NHL off-season doesn’t officially begin until the Stanley Cup is awarded.

Sure, technically, the Toronto Maple Leafs could be making trades with 28 other teams, and there is still at least two weeks until free-agency begins, but nothing really happens until the Cup is awarded.

The Tampa Bay Lightning currently lead the Canadiens 3-0 and are on the verge of winning their second cup in a row.

Assuming the Lightning win, it is one of the most impressive feats in the history of the NHL, in my opinion. Not only did the Lightning defy all their critics by sticking with the plan after losing in a sweep in the first round (ironically with the best version of their team) to the Blue Jackets in 2018-19, but they won twice during the pandemic, which featured some extremely difficult conditions and circumstances.

As for Montreal, they aren’t done yet.

Montreal vs Tampa

I don’t know what the odds are for a team to come back and win after being down 3-0, but I do know that they are even smaller than usual, given the fact that the Lightning are one of the best teams ever assembled and the Canadiens barely qualify as a playoff team.

Still, no matter what the odds are, they are still probably lower than the odds of the Toronto Maple Leafs losing two playoff series in which they had the higher expected goals in 11 of 12 games (including 11 in a row). 

They are still probably higher than the odds of a team taking five straight series to a deciding game and losing each time.

They are probably lower than the odds of winning two games in the same series where you blow a multi-goal lead twice in successive games in the third period but still win in overtime.

So what I’m saying is……there’s a chance?

I mean, Montreal making it here in the first place is probably somewhat close to the same odds as them making a comeback.  This is a team that needed a “Mr. Burns Softball Team-style” series of events to unfold just to get out of the first round.  This is a team that finished 18th overall.

But I’m still cheering for them. Honestly, my biggest pet peeve as a sports fan is manufactured rivalries with other teams.  Maybe it’s just that the Leafs and Habs have never played a single important game in my lifetime against each other until last month, but I do not get the whole “If you’re a Leafs fan you must hate the Canadiens” thing.

I like the Canadiens. I cheer for them to win every game they play that isn’t against the Leafs.

I hope the Canadiens win tonight, and I hope they make a great comeback.  The odds are low, but think they’ll at least win one game.  And who knows? Maybe they can get a bit lucky, it is, after all, how they got here in the first place.