Toronto Maple Leafs Face Playoff Gauntlet in This Year’s Postseason

The Toronto Maple Leafs have made the playoffs every season from 2016-17 til now. 

In this streak of playoff appearances, the Toronto Maple Leafs have been considered cup contenders for the majority of them.

Of course, as I’m sure everyone’s aware at this point, despite being labeled as “contenders”, the Leafs have not won a playoff series with this current core group.

Leafs fans hope that this year is different, however, and there is good reason for that hope.

Toronto Maple Leafs to Run Playoff Gauntlet

Leafs GM Kyle Dubas made plenty of moves at the trade deadline, adding experience and grit in the likes of Ryan O’Reilly and Jake McCabe, among others. As well, the Leafs were their closest to winning a series just last season, taking a 3-2 series lead against the two-time defending cup champs Tampa Bay Lightning, before losing game 6 in overtime and losing a hard-fought game 7 by a score of 2-1.

However, if the Leafs want to win a playoff round for the first time since 2004 and contend for their first Stanley Cup since 1967, the road won’t be easy.

Winning a championship in sports is never easy, especially the Stanley Cup, but this year’s playoff run will be extra difficult for the Leafs.

In round 1, the Leafs will play the Tampa Bay Lightning for the second straight year. While the Lightning may not be as good on paper as they were last year, they have still made the Stanley Cup Finals 3 years in a row, including winning in both 2020 and 2021.

In round 2, the Leafs would likely play the Boston Bruins, who are not only the team that eliminated the Leafs in round 1 of the 2013, 2018, and 2019 playoffs but have also just set the NHL record for wins in a season.

In round 3, the Leafs would likely play one of 3 teams. The Carolina Hurricanes, who are eyeing their third-straight Division title. The New Jersey Devils, who are currently 3rd in the entire NHL. Or the New York Rangers, who made the conference finals last season and are bringing back basically the same roster, this time with NHL stars and Cup champs Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane.

And in the finals, no matter who makes it out of the Western Conference, the Leafs would be playing against an amazing team. Whether that be the defending champions Colorado Avalanche, the McDavid-led Edmonton Oilers, or any other team, the Leafs would face another tough opponent.

If the Leafs finally win a cup this year, they would have gone through one of the toughest playoff runs in not only recent memory but maybe of all time. The odds are stacked against them, and the road will not be easy.

However, if there is a year to win the Cup and prove everyone wrong, this is the year to do it.