Are the Maple Leafs really different?
That's the question being asked all around the League as they head into Game 1 of the Eastern Conference First Round against the Senators at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Sunday (7 p.m. ET; CBC, TVAS, SN, ESPN2).
From how the Maple Leafs played this season, the trendy answer is yes.
It used to be about trying to outscore the opposition, relying too heavily on a handful of players, taking chances and blowing coverage, with goaltending sucking the life out of them.
That's how you lose in the opening round of the playoffs in seven of the past eight seasons, as Toronto has done. That's why they have never advanced out of the second round with the big five of Marner, Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares and Morgan Rielly.
But now?
"I believe they are different," TNT analyst and former NHL forward Eddie Olczyk said on the “NHL @TheRink” podcast this week. "When Craig Berube was hired back in the middle of the summer, he had lots of options. There were a handful of teams and I think a couple of them were probably a little slow to react and the Maple Leafs were there. I just felt with the moves that were coming on the back end, obviously getting (Chris) Tanev and ‘OEL’ (Oliver Ekman-Larsson), you need experience, you need guys who have been through the gauntlet. I felt they could make a run. I said back then I would be disappointed if they don't get to the conference final this year.
"I believe they've got the ability. They have the coach. They've got the team in place. Now you've got to go get the job done. Yeah, there's a lot of pressure, there's no doubt … but I expect the Leafs to make a serious run this year."
It starts, of course, in goal, but the Maple Leafs are OK with that.
Since Anthony Stolarz returned Feb. 6 from a long absence because of injury, he is 12-3-1 with a 2.14 goals-against average and .924 save percentage in 17 games, including 16 starts.
Stolarz started eight of Toronto's last 14 regular-season games. He was 8-0-0 with a 1.37 GAA, .950 save percentage and three shutouts.
Joseph Woll hasn't been too shabby himself, going 8-4-1 with a 2.86 GAA and .909 save percentage in 13 games since Stolarz returned. He started 18 of the 24 games with Stolarz out and was 11-7-0 with a 2.97 GAA and .902 save percentage.
"You've got to get the most important thing, and that's goaltending," Olczyk said. "As the great Doc Emrick and I would say, 'If you get it, you've got a shot, and when you don't you've got no shot.' I think for the Leafs at least to this point they've gotten good goaltending, very good goaltending at times. Stolarz is on a nice run going into the playoffs."
The big guys, of course, have to show up.
In the past eight postseasons combined, Marner (50), Matthews (48), Nylander (43), Rielly (40) and Tavares (24) are Toronto's leaders in points, as it should be. But none is averaging a point per game. Marner is the closest at 0.88 (57 games). Matthews is at 0.87 (55 games).
Do you know who is at better than a point per game in the playoffs in that same stretch (from 2017-24)?
Connor McDavid (1.58), Leon Draisaitl (1.46), Nathan MacKinnon (1.28), Mikko Rantanen (1.25), Nikita Kucherov (1.23), Sidney Crosby (1.14), Jack Eichel (1.14), Cale Makar (1.11), Evan Bouchard (1.09) and Brad Marchand (1.09).
Do you know what they all have in common?
Of course you do. In that span, they've all either won the Stanley Cup or, in the case of McDavid, Draisaitl, Bouchard and Marchand, at least played all the way to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.
The Maple Leafs look like a team that could this season.
We're about to find out if looks are deceiving.
"Toronto has built a team that hasn't proven to have any success in the playoffs," ESPN analyst and former NHL defenseman P.K. Subban said. "It remains to be seen that the way Toronto has built their team over time, has that been the right way to build a team? That's what we're talking about now that eight, nine years have gone by. They've gone through coaches and GMs with the same core group of players. Toronto has played the best hockey we've seen them play over the years because of Craig Berube, but they have to get over the hump. A first-round loss for them, even a second-round loss with the talent they have is inexcusable."
