The Toronto Maple Leafs Are Better Than Both Teams Still Playing

The Toronto Maple Leafs are on the verge of watching Nazem Kadri win the Stanley Cup.

The Avs lost last night, but are up 3-2 on the Lightning, who are an incredible two games short of a three-peat, which seems crazy considering my team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, would be happy with just a single first round victory (well, not really, but you get my point).

Watching these two teams, it’s clearly a coin-flip if both teams were healthy, and this series could go either way.   If Tampa was healthier I think they’d probably win for sure, but who knows?

What is clear is that the Leafs can stand with both these teams.  We know Leafs can beat the Lightning because they would have advanced after game six, in which a series of blown calls cost the Leafs the series.

If the Leafs are better than the current Lightning – which is reasonable to say after beating them five times and losing to them six times over the course of eleven combined regular season and playoff games this year.

Toronto Maple Leafs Should Be Playing Still, and They’d Win If They Were

All the nonsense about Kyle Dubas job performance is clearly just pique from people upset that the Leafs not only lost, but did so while doing the opposite of everything they think they should.

The fact is, the Leafs did everything possible to win the Cup this year, and just could not overcome the fact that in the NHL, the best team doesn’t always win.

But as Tampa claws their way back, ravaged by injuries,  it’s clear that if the Leafs are as good as Tampa that they’re just as good as Colorado.  The Leafs  played Colorado twice in the regular season, and won 8-3 the first time, then lost lost 6-5 in overtime. (naturalstattrick.com).

I think Toronto’s offense would feast on the Avs over a full series.  For evidence I submit that the Leafs scored 13 times in two games against them earlier this year.

Watching how offensive this series is (combined 32 goals in five games, which is over six goals per game) it’s clear the Leafs would be facing the right kind of opponent.

I think Toronto’s game plays perfectly into both TB and the Avs, whereas teams like Calgary and St. Louis are a little harder for them to match up against.

There is no guarantee the Toronto Maple Leafs would win against either team in the Final right now, but out these  three teams are so evenly matched that whoever had home ice would have a slight advantage and that’s it.

But in the NHL, the team with the best player is usually favored.   The Leafs would have the two best players in this series, as Colorado and Tampa’s best player would be Mitch Marner (at least the Mitch Marner who played from January on, who was the NHL’s 2nd best player), while Auston Matthews is on another level.

While the Leafs didn’t win anything, it’s different this year because they are clearly in the same class as both teams still playing, and if things went just a little bit more their way, this exact roster that lost to Tampa a month ago could have won the Stanley Cup.

Small comfort, obviously, but if you’re just a casual Leafs fan and aren’t sure why a team that never makes it out of the first round isn’t making major changes, that is why.