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Pick Your Poison: the Toronto Maple Leafs 1st Round Options

By Michael Da Ponte

Dec 9, 2021; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews (34) skates past Tampa Bay Lightning forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare (41) in the first period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 9, 2021; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews (34) skates past Tampa Bay Lightning forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare (41) in the first period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 27, 2022; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward John Tavares (91) . Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 27, 2022; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward John Tavares (91) . Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports /

Florida Panthers

Regular Season Record: 44-15-6 (2nd)
4.02 Goals per game (1st)
37.0 SOG per game (1st)
23.4% on PP (10th)
2.88 Goals against per game (12th)
30.7 SOG against per game (11th)
79.6% on PK (15th)

Just this past weekend, fans got a taste of this match up when the Florida Panthers visited the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Petr Mrazek had his best game of the season, which is honestly not saying much, and the Maple Leafs cruised to a 5-2 victory. This was the first game played between these two teams so it was the  Leafs first great test to see if they could stand up to the Atlantic leading Panthers. Florida has essentially been at the top of the division for the entire season, and are in the midst of a historical offensive output.

Florida is currently 1st in the league in goals per game and shots on goal per game, rolling four lines that can all apply the pressure and score. Florida is built big, strong and fast, which is exactly the type of team that Toronto Maple Leafs critics would say is their Achilles heel. The Panthers, of course, have weaknesses of their own, and ones that the Leafs could feast on.

The Panther are middling in many defensive categories, including goals against and their very average penalty kill.

The Toronto Maple Leafs could take full advantage of this, playing even 5v5 hockey and capitalizing on their power play opportunities. The Panthers are also near the bottom of the league in face off percentage, whereas the Maple Leafs are the best team in the league in the dot.

Toronto could use this advantage to play their possession style game, and as long as they can maintain their composure while dealing with the onslaught of hits from the Panthers, the  Leafs could be successful in a seven game series with Florida.

With two more meetings slated between these two clubs, we will get a good idea of how this series may play out. Florida is currently seven points ahead of Toronto in the standings, with only 16 games remaining. It is not completely impossible to catch up to Florida and take the division, but it is unlikely.

Even if the Toronto Maple Leafs manage to win the next two match ups, it would still be a tall task to overtake the Panthers for first place and face a wild card team in the first round.

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