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Toronto Maple Leafs: NHL End of Season Power Rankings

By James Tanner

TAMPA, FLORIDA - APRIL 04: Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrates a hat trick goal in the third periodcduring a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena on April 04, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FLORIDA - APRIL 04: Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrates a hat trick goal in the third periodcduring a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena on April 04, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
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Toronto Maple Leafs
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 19: William Nylander #88 of the Toronto Maple Leafs  (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

#5. The Las Vegas Golden Knights

The Golden Knights might not make the playoffs, but that is only a testament to how fluky the game of hockey can be.

Despite having one of the NHL’s best rosters, the Knight’s have suffered the duel blow of being massively injured and having a low PDO.  Vegas ranks 16th in shooting percentage, and 17th in save percentage (all stats 5v5 unless noted and stats from naturalstattrick.com).

The injuries and the bad luck (the low shooting/save percentages) have combined to make them nearly miss the playoffs.

They are currently on a 7-1-1 run as they try to make the post season.

The reason I rank the Knights so highly is that they have three of the best players in the entire NHL – Jack Eichel, Max Pacioretty, and Mark Stone – and they have each missed 40+ games and played only about 30.

If you take the 10th team ranked by expected goals even though they were ravaged with injures and bad percentages, and you add three of the best hockey players in the world to their lineup, you get one of the best teams in hockey.

Sure, a team like Florida has had a great regular season, but how would a fully healthy Panthers team fare against a fully healthy Golden Knights?  Not very well.

A healthy LGK easily has a top five roster (Max P, Eichel, Stone, Smith, Marchesault, Pietrangelo, Theodore) and they’ve got experience and a more reliable goalie.

If you think the Leafs playoff matchup is bad, just wait until Colorado realizes they have to play Vegas in the first round.

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