The Toronto Maple Leafs are officially set to take on their rivals, the Boston Bruins, in round one of this year's playoffs. It's no secret the Leafs have lost to the Bruins in three playoff series in the last 11 years, but this year they'll be aiming for a different outcome.
With game 1 just around the corner, I thought it'd be fun to take a look at the Toronto Maple Leafs success in game 1s during the current Matthews-Marner era.
The Leafs (funnily enough tied with Boston) currently own the NHL's longest active playoff streak, qualifying for the postseason every year since 2017. During this streak, the Leafs have an abysmal 2-6 record in game 1s. As my girlfriend would say, "That sucks".
While one game does not define an entire series, it's still fun to look at. With that being said, let's take a deep dive into each of these game 1s.
Part 1: 2017-2020
All stats via hockey-reference.com .
2017 Round 1: @ Washington Capitals
The Leafs headed into this game as huge underdogs, being the second wild-card team and taking on the President's Trophy winners, the Washington Capitals. The Leafs put up a strong effort in this game but unfortunately fell 3-2 in overtime. Mitch Marner and Jake Gardiner gave the team a 2-0 lead, and Tom Wilson scored the game-winner for Washington. The Leafs did manage to win the next two games in the series, however, but lost the series in six games.