TAMPA, Fla. – Last season, the Lightning followed a trip to the Stanley Cup final (and a second straight title) with a third-place finish in the Atlantic Division. The Maple Leafs followed a first-round defeat with 100-plus points and a second-place finish in the Atlantic.
This season? See above.
On the surface, nothing has changed heading into this year’s series between the teams. Alas, Maple Leafs fans hope much has changed. After all, their team has lost seven straight opening-round series since last advancing in 2004. Toronto at least has strung together seven straight years of making the postseason cut after one playoff appearance the previous 11 years. However, series victories are lacking.
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With at times inconsistent play and, often, carelessness during what was still a 98-point season, the Lightning are a playoff-seasoned team boasting 10 players from the 2020 and 2021 Cup-winners. A third straight trip to the Cup final last year was not so bad either, was it?
While the Lightning looked out of sorts at the times this season, they have tremendous skill players. They also have Andrei Vasilevskiy in goal. No. 88 has 63 career playoff wins and will start his 100th playoff game Tuesday evening. Toronto? Ilya Samsonov will make his Maple Leafs playoff debut after going 1-6 the past two years with the Capitals. Matt Murray, sidelined with a concussion since April 2, went 29-21 in six playoff years with the Penguins.
Little separated the teams during last spring’s seven-game series. While three games were decided by three or more goals, there was only a one-goal differential (24-23 Leafs) between the teams. Each of the final three games was determined by one goal with the Lightning winning the last two, and the series.
Toronto got off to a resounding start last year with a 5-0 win in a delirious Scotiabank Arena. In other words, there may not be much of anything to take out of Tuesday night’s Game 1. Then again, can you imagine the feeling among Leafs Nation if the Lightning strike first?
Either way, it should be a blast.
Game 1: Tuesday at Toronto, 7:30 (Bally/ESPN)
Game 2: Thursday at Toronto, 7:00 (Bally/ESPN)
Game 3: Saturday at Tampa Bay, 7:00 (Bally/TBS)
Game 4: Monday at Tampa Bay, 7:30 (Bally/TBS)
Game 5: Thursday, April 27 at Toronto, TBD (Bally/TBD)
Game 6: Saturday, April 29 at Tampa Bay, TBD (Bally/TBD)
Game 7: Monday, May 1 at Toronto, TBD (Bally/TBD)
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