3 Ways to Ensure the Toronto Maple Leafs Beat the Florida Panthers in Round One

3. Play Timothy Liljegren and Joseph Woll

One of these is automatic. While Liljegren sat in each of the last two playoffs, that's probably also the dumbest thing Keefe has ever done as the Leafs coach. And he did it twice!

Assume that Keefe knows better now.

Liljegren was back at practice yesterday and will play tonight.

The thing is, he's clearly the Leafs third best defender, and the one they have with the most upside. There is a world where the Leafs go on a very long playoff run and he becomes their undisputable #1 defenseman, and I think we're living in it.

Liljegren is integral to the Leafs for two reasons.

One, he's their second most taletned defender overall.

More importantly, he's a puck-mover on a team that is weirdly built for offense but has one of the worst puck-moving, least mobile blue-lines in the NHL.

The Leafs can't dress anymore than three of Giordano, Brodie, Lyubushkin, Edmundson, or Benoit in the same game, and frankly, should probably find a way to dress less of them.

Unfortunately, they only have three "good" defenseman, but Timothy Liljegren is indisputably one of them. I still can't believe they didn't upgrade at the deadline, but I'll beat that dead horse some more later.

As for goalies, don't overthink it, just start the one who hasn't been on waivers this year.

If the Toronto Maple Leafs follow these three pieces of advice, they will sip from Lord Stanley's Mug in just under three months. You are welcome.