The Big Problem the Toronto Maple Leafs Will Face in the Playoffs

The Toronto Maple Leafs are ready to hit the ice and start their playoff run. It will begin with them seeking revenge against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

There is a great deal of hope from fans that this will be the year the Toronto Maple Leafs end their miserable streak of being unable to progress beyond the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It’s a sight that hasn’t been seen since 2004.

The task won’t be an easy one.

There are a number of challenges that stand in their way with one that stands out above the rest.

The Toronto Maple Leafs Biggest Problem

The most difficult obstacle the Toronto Maple Leafs will face is beating an excellent goaltender in Andrei Vasilevskiy. The former Vezina Trophy, Conn Smythe, and two-time Stanley Cup winner has the pedigree and skills too completely shut down Toronto’s offense.

Vasilevskiy has played more minutes than any other goalie in each of the last three post seasons. Last year in the first round against the Leafs, the 6’4″ stopper had a .895 save percentage. The good news is that that was below his average of .922, which he posted throughout his run to the Cup finals.

In his career, Vasilevskiy owns an outstanding .923 save percentage through seven trips to the post season. He also has a playoffs career goals-against of 2.30.

This season, the Tyumen, Russia native owns a record of 34-21-4 with four shutouts. He has proven that he still has the ability to steal games and keep his team in games when they’re not at their best. With the Lightning currently playing a level of hockey that isn’t up to their ability, the Leafs need to remember who they face between the pipes. Vasilevskiy is still a giant threat.

Though Vasilevskiy already has nine years of NHL experience, he’s only 28 (turning 29 in July). This isn’t someone Toronto can hope has lost a step.

In order to beat the Lightning, the Maple Leafs will need throw all their firepower at Tampa. That means putting extra care into crafting their lines and figuring out ways to give Vasilevskiy different looks so that he never gets comfortable.

One way to do that would be to play Ryan O’Reilly on the third line. Now that he’s returned from injury, O’Reilly can be used to add depth to the lineup. While many prefer to see the trade deadline acquisition playing in the top six, it may be preferable having him line up between Alexander Kerfoot and Noel Acciari.

The Buds will need to bring their best every game. This year feels different because Toronto is the clear favourite in the series. However, they will need to exercise their own personal demons and do everything they can to wear out Vasilevskiy and make him a non-factor in the series. Clearly the Toronto Maple Leafs have their word cut out for them but there’s no reason why the team can’t find the success they’re after.