Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Tampa Bay Lightning: Who’s Better?

Apr 21, 2022; Tampa, Florida, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares (91), left wing Michael Bunting (58), Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Brandon Hagel (38) and teammates fight during the second period at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 21, 2022; Tampa, Florida, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares (91), left wing Michael Bunting (58), Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Brandon Hagel (38) and teammates fight during the second period at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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TAMPA, FLORIDA – APRIL 04: Jan Rutta #44 of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Ilya Mikheyev #65 of the Toronto Maple Leafs fight for the puck in the first period during a game at Amalie Arena on April 04, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FLORIDA – APRIL 04: Jan Rutta #44 of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Ilya Mikheyev #65 of the Toronto Maple Leafs fight for the puck in the first period during a game at Amalie Arena on April 04, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /

Bottom-Six Forwards

Toronto Maple Leafs:

  • Ilya Mikheyev
  • David Kampf
  • Pierre Engvall
  • Colin Blackwell
  • Jason Spezza
  • Wayne Simmonds
  • Ondrej Kase/Nick Robertson/Kyle Clifford *

Tampa Bay Lightning:

  • Alex Killorn
  • Anthony Cirelli
  • Brandon Hagel
  • Patrick Maroon
  • Pierre-Edouard Bellemare
  • Corey Perry

Advantage: Tampa Bay Lightning

Sorry Leafs fans, but Cirelli, Hagel and Killorn on the third line is better than anything Toronto can offer. Also, with that being said, as much as I love Jason Spezza and Wayne Simmonds, I’d rather have the winning pedigree that Corey Perry and Patrick Maroon bring, as the two of them have won four Stanley Cup’s and have been to six total.