The Tampa Bay Lightning is as close to an NHL dynasty as we’ve had over the past five seasons. Interestingly enough, however, as the Toronto Maple Leafs enter the postseason, they are slightly favorites to win the playoff series against the Lightning. Although Tampa Bay has been successful in recent seasons, this season the Lightning have struggled.
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Can lightning simply flip a switch?
There may be reasons to explain Tampa Bay’s recent struggles. Maybe they were saving their best until the end of the season. However, on the other hand, maybe what you see with the Lightning is what they show up in the post-season.
Whatever arguments can be made on either side, all narratives vanish once the playoffs begin. As fans will hear over and over again, the postseason is a different animal. And maybe that’s right. The other obvious thing is that lightning can win. They have proven it for three consecutive seasons.
But is the Lightning as competitive as it was in the past, for a fourth consecutive season?
Was the Lightning quiet during the regular season?
Tampa Bay may have been complacent during the regular season because of its recent success. They can simply flip a switch and fly off. They definitely have some great players.
However, there may not be a transposition of the heart. What fans saw during the regular season is exactly what the Lightning can bring. If so, it would give Toronto an edge.
It’s also worth noting that Tampa Bay lost some key contributors from last season’s team. The Maple Leafs have had a stronger lineup all season, and they may have a stronger lineup going into the postseason.
One thing is for sure, this is the year the Maple Leafs really need to beat the Lightning.
Related: Keys to Winning the First Round at the Lightning & Maple Leafs
Toronto’s argument might really be an argument against lighting
The argument for Toronto going into the second round is that they have a really good team this year. With this team, they have the potential to break the playoff curse. Yes, Tampa Bay could be a tough opponent. However, the truth is that they haven’t played well for the past two months.
Plus, the fact is that Tampa Bay is an older team. They played a lot of hockey this year. Could this fact also work in Toronto’s favor?
Can the Maple Leafs beat All-Time All-Time Andrei Vasilevsky?
Toronto has a major drawback. Lightning have Andrei Vasilevsky in their net. And on paper, this seems incompatible. It’s the world of all the worlds at this time of the season. There have been few goalkeepers with as much success – ever.
However, Ilya Samsonov had his best season – ever. It was great between five and five. He stops high-risk chances better than any other goaltender in the NHL. He seems to have swagger. While it was once better at home than on the road, that was flat.
Can the four core maple leafs lead them?
At the same time, the Maple Leafs have a Core Four group that has proven solid this season. All four are better than the point players in the game. William Nylander and Auston Matthews each scored 40 goals. Mitch Marner had his best season ever with 99 points. John Tavares is still going strong, leading the NHL with 18 game-strong marks.
All these facts indicate that the Maple Leafs have a team that is strong enough to overcome whatever lightning can throw at them. This could be the year Toronto finally reaches the second round after years of disappointment.
Related: Is this season the maple leaves are hitting the light: If so, how?