Reasons Why the Toronto Maple Leafs Can Survive the 1st Round
Toronto Maple Leafs fans have heard the phrase “make it out of the first round” a lot in the last couple of seasons because Toronto has shown great promise with nothing to show for it.
The Toronto Maple Leafs always seems to have a good regular season but then fizzle out in the playoffs.
Fans and reporters alike have offered many excuses as to why that happens. The team is either not tough enough, doesn’t have enough depth, or the goaltender isn’t good enough.
Many fans seem to blame Leafs GM Kyle Dubas, even though he adds the things fans keep screaming about not having. In 2018-19 fans wanted more toughness and defensive depth, so Dubas added Jake Muzzin. Toronto lost in the first round to the Boston Bruins in seven games.
For the 2019-20 season, fans wanted Dubas to add more leadership, and again they wanted more toughness. He added Jason Spezza to Toronto’s leadership group and traded for Kyle Clifford to add toughness. They lost in the Round Robin to the Columbus Blue Jackets, and Clifford left in the off-season.
At the start of the 2020-21 shortened season, fans wanted toughness to replace Clifford, more depth, and more leadership. Dubas added Zach Bogosian, Wayne Simmonds, T.J. Brodie, Travis Boyd, Jimmy Vesey, and Joe Thornton. By the trade deadline, that proved to be not enough.
So, Dubas traded for Nick Foligno. The heavily favoured Toronto Maple Leafs once again lost in the first round.
What the Toronto Maple Leafs Added in 2021-22 Season
Toronto GM Kyle Dubas decided to take a different approach for the 2021-22 season.
He chose to keep Simmonds, sign Nick Ritchie, and he brought Clifford back.
That covers the toughness that fans keep asking management to get. Ritchie did not work out, but he got traded for Ilya Lyubushkin. The trade has worked out great for Toronto. Lyubushkin is a hitting machine, and fans love it.
Dubas added David Kampf, Ondrej Kase, and Michael Bunting for forward depth. Fans were not sure what they were getting from these three. They got two important depth players and one who was supposed to be a depth piece, but turned into a star (at least for one season). Each adds an important element to this Toronto Maple Leafs team.
Kampf has proven to be a solid bottom-six player who can kill penalties. Kase showcased that he can play anywhere in the lineup and produce offensively. Bunting has surprised everyone and has become a fan favorite. He is currently leading all NHL rookies in scoring with 63 points. Bunting also plays with toughness and can draw penalties.
This year’s Toronto Maple Leafs team is more well-rounded than previous years. It also looks like Dubas finally added the right pieces at the trade deadline. Adding Mark Giordano and Colin Blackwell to this team has been a perfect fit. Toronto has a winning record of 12-2-1 since they joined.
Why the Toronto Maple Leafs Will Have Playoff Success
There are a few reasons why Toronto should find success this year as opposed to previous years. They finally have the right mix of scoring, depth, toughness, goaltending, and special teams.
Scoring
As of Wednesday morning, the Toronto Maple Leafs have scored 300 goals. That is the second-best goal total in the NHL. The only team with more is the Florida Panthers with 320. It helps to have NHL-leading goal scorer Auston Matthews who has 58 goals and counting. Toronto has seven players with 50 or more points. They also have five players with at least 20 goals.
Depth
The Majority of players from Toronto’s bottom six have combined for 76 goals so far. When the playoffs start, a team’s bottom-six needs to produce. If Toronto’s defense stays healthy, the seven guys they have right now are the most balanced group they’ve had in a while. It’s a mix of skill, experience, and toughness. If Rasmus Sandin can return by the playoffs, Toronto has a good group of eight defensemen.
Toughness
The Toronto Maple Leafs can put Simmonds and Clifford into the lineup for toughness. Bunting is not afraid to throw his weight around either. Blackwell might be 5’9, but he plays like he is over six feet. As mentioned before, Lyubushkin is a hitting machine, and Muzzin has played more physically lately.
Goaltending
During the first half of the season, goaltending was not a big concern. Then Jack Campbell’s play started to decline, and Petr Mrazek got hurt. Fortunately for the Maple Leafs, Campbell has regained his early-season form since returning from injury. Since his return to the lineup, Campbell is 6-0-0 with a 2.49 GAA and a .915 SV%.
Special Teams
The Maple Leafs have the NHL’s best power play at 27.7%, with 59 power-play goals scored. They also have the NHL’s 7th best penalty kill at 83.2%, with only four shorthanded goals allowed. What is the most impressive is that Toronto has scored 13 shorthanded goals.21
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A team that has all of these things listed above working together at the same time should find success. Hopefully, for the Toronto Maple Leafs, they can continue to ride their current hot streak into the playoffs and find success. A healthy lineup, good depth, a hot goaltender, and some toughness is the recipe Toronto needs.