What to expect from the Maple Leafs in 2018
Maple Leafs lose to the Lightning in Conference semi-finals
There is only one team in the Atlantic Division that would give the Leafs their hardest challenge to make the playoffs and that would be the Tampa Bay Lightning.
With Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos forming one of the most unstoppable duos in the league, a Vezina candidate in Andrei Vasilevskiy and an improving blue line, it is hard to bet against the Lightning.
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Now the Leafs played their first game against Tampa Bay this past Tuesday and lost 2-0, so the team knows they have work to do to match up with them over a seven-game series. Losing to the Lightning would not be the worst thing for the Toronto Maple Leafs, considering the amount of experience they have.
If anything the Lightning should be the measuring stick for every team in the league, the drafting and developing they have done to remain competitive is something most teams wish they could do.
The Leafs are also capable of pulling off the upset but it would have to be a strong collective effort to get it done. The Lightning can easily match up against the Leafs’ high-flying offensive style or they can lock things down defensively.
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If the Leafs were to get past the Lightning, then they could be a favourite to matchup against any team in the Metropolitan division in the Eastern Conference Finals. However, they still need to get past Tampa Bay and it would be hard to bet against the Lightning right now.