The Toronto Maple Leafs have found a way to get the job done in the regular season. They have put together a talented roster that has been able to score goals in bunches and they have exceeded the 100-point mark in their last three seasons.
The Maple Leafs have made it to the playoffs in each of the last eight season. They have made it past the first round just once in those eight seasons.
The 2023-24 postseason was quite typical of what Maple Leafs fans have seen from their team in the playoffs. A third-place finish in the Atlantic Division meant that they did not have home ice advantage in their matchup with the Boston Bruins. That would prove painful for the Leafs once again.
Boston jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the series, but the Maple Leafs played resilient hockey in winning Games 5 and 6 to tie the series. The series returned to the TD Garden for Game 7 and the Leafs were able to score in the third period to take a 1-0 lead. Just when it looked like they would finally get by the Bruins, Boston defenseman Hampus Lindholm scored for the home team to send the game into overtime.
Once the game got to the extra session, David Pastrnak broke in on goal after taking a pass from Lindholm and got the best of Maple Leafs goalie Ilya Samsonov and ended the series.
Leafs make key changes in the offseason
Toronto has seen its season end at the hands of the Bruins three times in the last eight years, and the latest defeat served as the end of the line for for head coach Sheldon Keefe. The perception around the NHL is that the Leafs are not tough enough on defense to get the job done against physical opponents.
The team has brought in Craig Berube to help change that image, and they have also signed hard-hitting defenseman Chris Tanev to give them a more physical presence.
These moves should have an impact, but will they be enough to help Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander change the script and advance deep into the playoffs? That’s the question that Leafs fans are asking with the start of the 2024-25 season around the corner.
Auston Matthews will have another banner season, scoring at least 50 goals
There is no doubt that Matthews can light the lamp with his wicked wrist shot, and as he hits the prime of his career at the age of 27. He has already scored 60 goals or more twice and has never scored less than 34 goals in any season.
Connor McDavid may be the best player in the league, but Matthews can make a strong argument that he is the best goal scorer in the league. He is coming off a career-high 69 goals last year, and he added 38 assists for 107 points.
But don’t make the mistake of thinking that Matthews is a one-way player. He may not be a 200-foot demon, but he does play defense and can frustrate opponents with his ability to get in the passing lane and break up plays.
It seems clear that Matthews will score 50 goals once again, and it would not be a surprise if he made another run at 60.
The superior goal scorer has a tremendous rapport with right wing Mitch Marner. While some observers were blaming Marner for the Leafs’ first-round defeat against the Bruins, he is a creative player who combines excellent skating with pinpoint passing and the ability to put the puck in the net. Matthews, Marner and Matthew Knies will form one of the best No. 1 lines in the NHL.
William Nylander breaks the 100-point barrier
When the Matthews line skates off the ice, the No. 2 line centered by John Tavares takes its place. This does not give Toronto opponents much of a chance for relief. Tavares is a talented face-off man and a solid offensive player, and he has Nylander as his right wing.
Nylander has scored 40 goals in back-to-back seasons and he reached a career high 98 points in 2023-24. He combines excellent skating with sharp puck handling, creativity and a great shot.
Bobby McMann is penciled in at left wing on the No. 2 line, and he is a hard worker who scored 15 goals in 56 games last year. The Leafs are hoping he can solidify his position and reach the 20-goal mark this season.
Addition of Craig Berube and Chris Tanev helps Leafs win Atlantic Division
Berurbe is going to emphasize physical play from the start of training camp. He wants the Leafs to be the team that punishes opponents in the third period and takes over close games.
He will depend on Tanev to send that message to the rest of the team. It won’t happen overnight, but as the season progresses, the Leafs will follow their coach’s demands. Suddenly, they will start playingtight defense in the third period, and they will limit or eliminate their opponents’ high-danger chances. The Maple Leafs will find a way to win low-scoring games.
After suffering so many painful playoff defeats, the Leafs will finally learn that offensive hockey is not the key to advancing deep in the playoffs.
Neither the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers nor the Tampa Bay Lightning look as strong as they have been in the past. Both teams have suffered some key free agent losses and the Leafs will take advantage. The Bruins may be solid once again, but they can’t match Toronto’s offensive proficiency. Toronto will finish in first place in the Atlantic Division. If the Leafs meet the Bruins again in the playoffs they will finally have home-ice advantage in Game 7
The Leafs and their fans are not overly interested in regular-season success. Toronto supporters want a team that can get the job done consistently in the playoffs. They should take a substantial step in that area in the upcoming season.
