Toronto Maple Leafs clinch second straight playoff berth
By Jasmine Yen
The Florida Panthers overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators was enough to punch the Toronto Maple Leafs‘ ticket to the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have officially clinched their second consecutive playoff berth. This is their third playoff berth since the 2004-05 lockout and the city has been starving for this type of success for a decade.
In 77 games played this season they have a 46-24-7 record, earning themselves a franchise record for most wins in a single season. Frederik Andersen has been putting up career numbers and is in the conversation for the Vezina. Auston Matthews has missed 20 games due to various injuries but still managed a 30-goal season, while improving in his faceoffs and overall performance.
Mitch Marner has been stellar in the second half of the season. He is a big reason why the Leafs have been so dominant lately, as Chris Johnston’ from Sportsnet points out.
Things have not been perfect, with injuries to key players like Nikita Zaitsev, Matthews, Leo Komarov and Morgan Rielly. However, the Buds have remained resilient and pushed through many tough challenges.
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This team has shown resiliency the entire season. Their young phenoms along with their seasoned veterans have provided a nice balance.
When the team was struggling in January and went 0-1-3 while playing sloppily and rapidly losing confidence, Patrick Marleau spoke up during the second intermission to rally his team. The result was a 4-3 victory and they went 9-2 in their next 11 games.
It will also help that this team experienced the playoffs last year and the group has remained relatively unchanged. They now know what to expect and will have more experience to lean on.
Plus, the team they will likely play the Boston Bruins in the first round of the playoffs, who they attained a 3-1 record against in the season series. Obviously, it will be a tougher matchup in the playoffs, but familiarity will help the Leafs and the record will be a nice boost in confidence.
Next: Maple Leafs' historic win over Panthers
This team has the speed and talent to score in bunches, while constantly pressuring their opponents into turnovers. With all their key offensive players heating up at the right time, the Leafs will be a force to be reckoned with.