They can also defend with two elite pairs in the back. With multiple future Hall of Famers (Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman, Nikita Kucherov) as well as a goalkeeper that has won two Stanley Cups already in Andrei Vasilevskiy, there is no team that can score more goals faster in hockey. They’ve won five of their last six, beginning with an 8-1 blowout of Toronto two weeks ago. The Lightning remain the champs for a reason, and are the playing their best hockey at the right time. If either of those two can get hot enough, the Leafs have a shot at ending the first-round exit drought and then some. The biggest question mark comes in net with Jack Campbell and Petr Mrazek. Morgan Rielly, Jake Muzzin, Mark Giordano and TJ Brodie provide plenty of experience and leadership. What may be different about this Leafs team is on the blue line.

Center Auston Matthews is set to win his first Hart Trophy for League MVP after scoring 60 goals, the first player born in the U.S.

Is this the season things change? Well, it isn’t going to be easy for Toronto but the team is loaded up to make a deep playoff run. You could say the Maple Leafs have been living up to historic expectations. Toronto has failed to make it out of the first round in each of the past five seasons. 2 seed out of the Atlantic division, fending off the Bolts and the Boston Bruins during the regular season.

The Toronto Maple Leafs will face the two-time defending Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Tor maple leafs schedule