Toronto Maple Leafs Wrap Up a Regular Season To Be Proud Of
Last night, the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the New York Rangers 3-2 in their final game of the 2022-23 regular season.
The Toronto Maple Leafs players, management, and fans all should be proud of this regular season.
This year’s squad is fairly different compared to last year’s, however, many aspects of this year parallel those of last season.
The Leafs finished top 4 in the entire league both this year and last. The Leafs finished second in the Atlantic Division yet again. And the Leafs will have home-ice advantage in their first-round playoff matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning for the second year in a row. (stats: nhl.com)
Many players exceeded expectations, including goaltender Ilya Samsonov, who has set career-best numbers in wins, GAA, SV%, and shutouts in his first year with the Leafs.
Speaking of career bests, both William Nylander and Calle Jarnkrok put up career highs in goals and points. On that same topic, Mitch Marner also set a career-high in points, notching 99 this season.
Matthews had 106 points last season and an NHL-best 60 goals, winning his second consecutive Rocket Richard trophy.
Those totals are still very impressive, especially considering he was playing with a hand injury for almost the entire season. Matthews is also getting back into that 60-goal form we saw last season, with 8 goals in his last 11 games.
So far, the 2022-23 NHL season has gone according to plan for the Leafs. However, it is far from over. The most important time of the season is still right around the corner.
If the Leafs fail to advance past round 1, this season will be labeled as a failure.
It is finally time to win a playoff series, and this season might be their best chance to do so. The Leafs are no longer a team full of rookies with no playoff games. With 7-straight playoff appearances, inexperience is no longer an excuse. The Leafs made a ton of moves at this year’s trade deadline, more than any Leafs team in recent history.
As a fan, I can say I am more than happy with how this season has gone so far. But I, along with every Leafs fan in existence, am not yet satisfied until the Leafs come through in the playoffs. I will say however, I do have confidence in this team, a lot more than in previous years.
Next. The 3 Realities of Another 1st Round Exit. dark
We’ll see in early May if this is finally the year, and if the Leafs are playing on the ice or on the golf course in a month’s time.