A Maple Leafs fan's (cautiously) optimistic guide to the playoffs
CBC
The Maple Leafs are back in the playoffs, so it's time for us bandwagon fans to pepper the biggest Leafs die-hard on CBC Toronto's digital desk with some questions.
You know, so we sound smart at the sports bar.
(And to be honest, this will also be a bit of an emotional check-in on reporter Adam Carter, who has followed the Buds for decades — for better or for worse.)
Adam, an easy question to start: Are the Leafs good?
The team just won its first divisional title for a normal season in over two decades and boasts players near the top of many key categories across the NHL, including goals scored, points, assists, and goaltending stats.
For any other team, it would be pretty easy to unequivocally say, "yup, they're good." But this is the Leafs we're talking about here, so … maybe?
But are you feeling … good? Give us a one-word answer on your emotional state.
(Cautiously) optimistic.
That's two, but we'll allow it considering a couple years back you wrote that being a Leafs fan around this time of year feels "a lot like the anticipation before Christmas morning — only there's a chance that Santa punches you in the face for ever believing in him."
And therein lies the rub — this team has yet to prove it has the ability to win where it counts: in the playoffs. Save for a lone series win against the Tampa Bay Lightning the season before last (before quickly being decimated by the Florida Panthers in the second round) these Leafs always seem to find a way to stumble in the post-season.
Maybe this is the year that everything finally clicks for this core and they go on a proper run — but I wouldn't bet your life savings on it or anything.
What are you optimistic about?
There are things about this team that are legitimately different from seasons past — the goaltending chief among them. Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll have formed one of the best goalie tandems in the league, and fans should be able to feel confident with either of them in net — especially compared to past seasons where a dodgy goal or two per game felt like an inevitability.
Many of the team's best players have also been just that: their best players. Mitch Marner finally cracked 100 points in a season, William Nylander potted a personal best to lead the team in goals, and John Tavares turned back the clock for one of his best seasons in years.
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