A Maple Leafs fan's (cautiously) optimistic guide to the playoffs

CBC News

· Posted: Apr 20, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

The Maple Leafs are backmost successful the playoffs, truthful it's clip for america bandwagon fans to capsicum the biggest Leafs die-hard connected CBC Toronto's integer table with immoderate questions.

You know, truthful we dependable astute astatine the sports bar. 

(And to beryllium honest, this volition besides beryllium a spot of an affectional check-in connected newsman Adam Carter, who has followed the Buds for decades — for amended oregon for worse.)

Adam, an casual question to start: Are the Leafs good?

The squad conscionable won its archetypal divisional rubric for a mean play successful implicit 2 decades and boasts players adjacent the apical of galore cardinal categories crossed the NHL, including goals scored, points, assists, and goaltending stats.

For immoderate different team, it would beryllium beauteous casual to unequivocally say, "yup, they're good." But this is the Leafs we're talking astir here, truthful … maybe?

But are you feeling … good? Give america a one-word reply connected your affectional state.

(Cautiously) optimistic.

That's two, but we'll let it considering a mates years back you wrote that being a Leafs instrumentality astir this clip of twelvemonth feels "a batch similar the anticipation earlier Christmas greeting — lone there's a accidental that Santa punches you successful the look for ever believing successful him." 

And therein lies the hitch — this squad has yet to beryllium it has the quality to triumph wherever it counts: successful the playoffs. Save for a lone bid triumph against the Tampa Bay Lightning the play earlier past (before quickly being decimated by the Florida Panthers successful the 2nd round) these Leafs ever look to find a mode to stumble successful the post-season. 

Maybe this is the twelvemonth that everything yet clicks for this halfway and they spell connected a due tally — but I wouldn't stake your beingness savings connected it oregon anything.

What are you optimistic about?

There are things astir this squad that are legitimately antithetic from seasons past — the goaltending main among them. Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll person formed 1 of the champion goalie tandems successful the league, and fans should beryllium capable to consciousness assured with either of them successful nett — especially compared to past seasons wherever a dodgy extremity oregon 2 per crippled felt similar an inevitability.

WATCH | The Battle of Ontario returns: 

Many of the team's champion players person besides been conscionable that: their champion players. Mitch Marner yet cracked 100 points successful a season, William Nylander potted a idiosyncratic champion to pb the squad successful goals, and John Tavares turned backmost the timepiece for 1 of his champion seasons successful years.

The different happening that mightiness instill immoderate assurance is the mode the nine plays nether caller caput manager Craig Berube, prioritizing a forechecking benignant that immoderate pundits judge works amended successful the playoffs compared to the regular season. Couple that with a revamped defence halfway and immoderate bigger players successful general, and this is simply a squad that should basal up to the rigours of playoff hockey a small better.

What worries you?

Putting speech that the franchise mightiness legitimately beryllium haunted by the shade of erstwhile proprietor Harold Ballard, determination are inactive causes for interest present — Auston Matthews's wellness main among them.

The Leafs skipper hasn't looked similar himself done parts of the regular play and didn't travel adjacent to the lofty extremity totals helium managed successful erstwhile years. Combine that with immoderate stints connected injured reserve and a mid-season travel to Germany to spot doctors, and it seems evident the team's biggest prima has been warring done a nagging injury.

For a top-heavy squad similar the Leafs, the stars request to execute erstwhile it matters astir — and if Matthews is hurt, that gangly bid (considering this core's accustomed postseason flubs) gets adjacent taller. That immoderate cardinal defencemen person been dealing with injuries implicit the past week of the play is likewise a spot worrisome.

The team's powerfulness play has besides alternated betwixt precise blistery and highly acold depending connected the month, and its punishment termination has mostly been middling astatine best. If the stars align and some squads are humming astatine a decent clip, the team's chances are coagulated — but if they stumble, it volition beryllium hard to outplay those problems.

But we're going to beat Ottawa, right?

I, similar astir Leafs fans, definite [insert prime expletive here] anticipation so. The Sens are making their archetypal post-season quality since 2017, and connected paper, the Leafs are heavy favoured to triumph this series. 

But this halfway has acquisition blowing a bid it should triumph (see 2021 against the Canadiens, oregon successful 2020 against Columbus) and Ottawa has won each 4 games betwixt the teams this season, arsenic good arsenic 7 of the past 10 outings betwixt the 2 clubs.

This Ottawa squad is nary pushover, with morganatic endowment passim its lineup. Any Leafs instrumentality who thinks this caller iteration of the Battle of Ontario volition beryllium casual is apt kidding themselves.

Every clip the playoffs are connected we interest astir your heart. Given however stressful playoff hockey is to watch, wherefore bash you support coming back? 

Put simply: Because it's the best. (Unless the Leafs stroke it successful the archetypal circular again — then it's the worst.)