With the Toronto Maple Leafs making the playoffs for the eighth consecutive season, this should finally be the year that they make some noise.
After all, the Toronto Maple Leafs have been stuck in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs for six of the past seven seasons, and have failed to advance beyond the second round since 2002.
So what will they need to do this time around to ensure that they have agreater chance of success in embarking in a longer postseason journey as a result?
Will the Leafs need something magical to occur, or will the stars finally align for them for once?
4 Keys to Success in the Playoffs for the Toronto Maple Leafs
Here, we will take a look at the four keys to success for the Leafs in the upcoming 2024 NHL playoffs.
Win the Special Teams Battle
With the competition at even strength often quite close in the playoffs, games can be often be won if a team manages to win the special teams battle. In recent years, we have witnessed the Leafs hitting some dry spells with their power play once the postseason began, along with a penalty kill that seemed to morph into something we can’t even decipher.
Just last year, even though the Leafs had the sixth best power play in the playoffs, they only had the 11th best penalty kill out of the 16 teams, limiting their overall effectiveness.
Even this year during the regular season, they rank in the top quarter of the league with the man advantage, but in the bottom quarter of the league when a man short.
If their struggles on the penalty kill persist, it would not bode well for the Leafs once again in the playoffs because it could lead to a less aggressive style of play with the fear that taking a penalty could come back to haunt them.
As a result, the key right now will be to get their defensive PK strategies fixed prior to the start of the playoffs. Otherwise, losing the special teams battle could lead to another early and frustrating exit for the Leafs.