Toronto Maple Leafs vs Tampa Bay Lightning
The Toronto Maple Leafs were lucky to avoid Boston, in my opinion.
While the Tampa Bay Lightning have won two straight Stanley Cups, the Bruins are the NHL’s best 5v5 team. Tampa has also played a tone of hockey in the last two seasons, doesn’t appear to be too hungry, and they have seemed beatable this season. (stats naturalstattrick.com).
The Leafs, on the other hand, cannot possibly be hungrier.
I predict that the Leafs stars will put this team on their back and play out of their minds.
I just don’t think that John Tavares, Auston Matthews or Mitch Marner want to have their careers overshadowed by an inability to perform when it counts, and that therefore you will see a superhuman effort from them.
This is the year for the Leafs – they’re coming off the momentum of a franchise record, their goalie is playing for a contract, they have so many hungry players, their mix of veterans and young players, of grit and skill is all ideal.
They are the culmination of everything we’ve watched for five years and I believe they are going to come out flying and never look back.
Ultimately, Jack Campbell has never let the Leafs down yet, and with Matthews and Marner, they figure to have the best players in this series. Additionally, I predict the real value of adding Mark Giordano will become apparent, and I would look for him to take on more and more of the duties of a number-one defenseman as the playoffs go on.
The Toronto Maple Leafs will finally find playoff success, I am predicting the Leafs in five games.