With the NHL playoffs finally upon us, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the excitement of a fresh bracket where each of the sixteen teams still has a hope at hoisting the cup. I, for one, have no shame in admitting that I have fallen victim to the excitement of playoff hockey and the potential for any team to win any series.
So on one exhausting school day, as I sat in my fifth period class with my brain in high danger of shutting down entirely, I decided to save myself by seeing what thirdandlong.co (shameless plug) had to say about the NHL this season. But upon opening up the hockey tab, I learned that the playoffs were already over, as the Cup was essentially the Bruins’ to lose. For a hot second my loopy brain thought Wow, might as well not even bother watching the playoffs.
But then I snapped out of it and came to my senses. The Bruins are no lock for the cup; they aren’t even a lock to get out of the first round. Now before you click the “x” in the top left corner of your browser and throw on your Patrice Bergeron jersey and the newest episode of “Behind the B,” hear me out as I tell you why you should doubt your favorite hockey team’s ability to advance past Toronto and onto the second round.
We all know Toronto’s history of puking all over itself in crunch time. In fact, many of us saw it first hand the last time these two teams met in the playoffs--when the Leafs blew a 4-1 lead with 10 minutes remaining in regulation of Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.
But if you haven’t heard already, let me be the first to tell you that this Toronto squad is nothing close to the team that blew it in 2013. The 2017-2018 Leafs feature just five players from the 2013 collapse and are now molded around a core of young studs such as William Nylander (21 years old), Mitch Marner (20), and Auston Matthews (20), all first-round draft picks selected in the top 8 of their respective drafts. Now you may be skeptical of the youth Toronto relies on (as is the worry many have about the Bruins), but this is not the trio’s first experience in the playoffs. Just last year, this young Toronto team hung with the President’s Trophy-winning Washington Capitals for six games, five of which were decided in OT. Now, after complimenting a strong veteran scoring presence of James Van Riemsdyk, Nazem Kadri, and Tyler Bozak with the additions of Cup-hungry veterans Tomas Plekanec and Patrick Marleau, the Leafs have the right mix of veteran leadership and young star power--this group certainly will not be intimidated by the Bruins.
Still skeptical of Toronto having a chance? Understandable, but do me a favor and take a look at the Bruins roster and think about everything Boston has at its disposal. Well guess what? Toronto has it too. Prolific scorer? Check. Young, puck-moving defenseman? Check. Above average goaltending? Check. Veteran leadership? Check. While the Bruins look to veterans Patrice Bergeron (32 years old), Brad Marchand (29), and Zdeno Chara (40), the Leafs look to Marleau (38), Bozak (31), and Van Riemsdyk (28). While the Bruins love a young core in Pastrnak (21), DeBrusk (21), Heinen (22), and McAvoy (20), the Leafs boast their own quartet of Marner, Matthews, Nylander, and defenseman Morgan Rielly (23). If you’re a Bruins fan, the Leafs have a lot of the same things going for them that you have going for you. But if that doesn’t scare you then just look to the regular season, where the Leafs won the season series 3-1 against Boston. Oh, and those three wins? All without Auston Matthews. With Matthews (34 goals, 29 assists, and 63 points in 62 games) back in the lineup for a full series, the Leafs will continue to challenge the excellent Bruins defense (which allows the second fewest shots against and the fourth fewest goals against per game) as they did during the regular season to the tune of three goals per game when the two met.
Sticking with the theme of Toronto’s unquestioned top scoring threat, perhaps the scariest part of this Maple Leafs team is its ability to play without Matthews in the lineup. In 20 games without their star centerman this season, the Leafs posted an 11-7-2 record, and during his most recent 10-game absence, the team also saw goal production rise from 3.22 to 3.60 goals per game. At the moment Matthews is healthy--and that fact is colossal for the Leafs--but the main takeaway here is that if the Bruins defensive game plan is simply to take away Matthews, they are in trouble. For a little perspective on just how deep the Leafs lineup goes, Toronto’s top goal-scorer from this season, James Van Riemsdyk (36 goals), plays on the third line. The Leafs’ offensive firepower is unquestioned; the fact that they were tied for second in the league in goals scored speaks for itself. So the Bruins’ youthful defensive ability is what Boston will have to rely on if it hopes to move on.
Finally, rosters aside, the Leafs unquestionably hold a distinct advantage in the coaching department. I’m not trying to take anything away from Bruce Cassidy and the incredible job he’s done in leading this Bruins team to a 112 point season, but anytime you’re in a coaching battle with Mike Babcock (unless your name is Joel Quenneville), you’re likely fighting against the odds. Babcock, a Stanley Cup champion during his time coaching in Detroit, holds an 84-66 all-time record in the playoffs and with it a significant advantage in playoff experience as a whole as opposed to Cassidy, who has a 4-8 playoff record of his own.
Beware of the Leafs, Boston--your young roster may not be as indestructible as you think.
Written by Wil Gonzales, Carlisle MA
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