The Toronto Maple Leafs, who defeated the Oilers last Saturday, are just one win away from being the NHL’s best club during the stretch that began on January 18 and ended on January 18.
Even if the start and finish dates are entirely arbitrary, this third of a season demonstrates that the Leafs are a competitive club in the NHL when their goaltending is league average and they score the most goals in the league.
They aren’t the best team overall, though, because those two factors aren’t really sustainable. But they may be if they hadn’t dropped more than 20 points in losses to Chicago, Columbus, Arizona, San Jose, Philadelphia, and Anaheim.
They are responsible for their current situation because they could have been better off if they had traded for a goalie.
And it’s not a good position to be in because, despite having virtually assured themselves a postseason berth, their playoff trajectory is absurd.
The Leafs can only end the season with 101 points, which would only happen if they go 11-0. The Boston team’s victory over Tampa last night means that the Leafs are out of the running for the division.
As of this writing, Boston has 99 points. If they win tonight, they will have eight games remaining to earn a point and force the Leafs to forfeit their chance to compete for the Atlantic Division title. They don’t even truly need the additional point because they led by five wins in the first tiebreaker.
Can the Florida Panthers make a comeback against the NY Rangers? The Toronto Maple Leafs’ playoff pathway is challenging due to their own faults. Despite showing potential as a top NHL team, their inconsistencies and lack of a reliable goaltender have cost them key points. If they had traded for a goalie or won crucial games, they may have been in a better position. Now, they are on track for a tough playoff journey, facing formidable opponents like Boston and Florida. The Leafs’ chances of winning the division are slipping away, potentially leading to matchups against tough teams like Boston or Florida in the first round. It might actually be preferable for them to face New York or Carolina. If they manage to defeat Florida, they will have to overcome even tougher challenges against teams like Boston, New York, or Carolina, before potentially facing dominant teams like Edmonton, last year’s cup winner, Dallas, or Colorado.
