Toronto Maple Leafs: Things to watch and bold predictions for 2019

Leafs finally win a playoff round

The past two playoff exits were tough ones especially the Game 7 loss to the Boston Bruins. So why should this season be any different than the past? Bringing in Tavares is a major improvement and having Andersen playing at the level he’s capable of makes the Leafs a dangerous team in the playoffs.

As it stands right now, the Leafs would play against the Boston Bruins in round one which might make Leafs fans nervous but Toronto would get home advantage in this series. At the same time, there is no guarantee the Bruins would be the Leafs first-round opponent.

When you look at the Atlantic division standings, the Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning are comfortably in first and second but there is little to no separation after that. With 48 points, the Bruins are tied with the Buffalo Sabres for third but the Bruins have more regulation wins. Right behind them are the Montreal Canadiens who have been a surprise this season.

This will be an interesting development to watch over the next couple of months because there will probably be a lot of movement between those three teams. What the Leafs should be concerned with is trying to catch up to Tampa Bay as this would mean they would go up against the second wild card team.

Regardless, many contending teams go through playoff heartbreaks before they finally get over the hump like the Washington Capitals and Chicago Blackhawks. If the Leafs can learn from their mistakes then there’s no reason why they can’t be more successful this season.

It might not mean they will win the Stanley Cup but there is no reason why they can’t win a playoff round or two.