The NHL playoffs got underway on Monday, but for the Toronto Maple Leafs’ faithful, April 18 is the big day for the redemption tour hopefuls. The team will kick off their first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning with a much deeper squad than last year and one that filled the holes that plagued the team in previous seasons.
Among them, the Maple Leafs brought in two key defensemen in Luke Schenn and Jake McCabe who are expected to bring physicality and stronger defensive coverage to the team’s lineup against a high-powered Lightning offence. While Schenn brings over 30 games of playoff experience to the table, McCabe will be entering his first career playoff game when the two teams drop the puck on their series on Tuesday night.
McCabe Doesn’t Lack Overall Experience
While there is a zero in the games played column when it comes to playoff experience for McCabe, the veteran defenceman has played in over 500 regular season games and averaged nearly 20 minutes per game over that span. His overall experience isn’t a question mark for the Maple Leafs or their fans.
So, how does McCabe feel going into his first playoff series at the NHL level?
“Sheer excitement, sheer joy,” he said, according to Terry Koshan. “It has been a long time coming. I’ve been through a lot of ups and downs in my career so it’s great to be here.”
McCabe came into the NHL in 2013-14 and has spent most of his career with the Buffalo Sabres, before joining the Chicago Blackhawks for parts of two seasons in 2021-22. Over that time, he’s played 504 career regular season games, with 25 goals and 124 points while on some not-so-competitive teams.
Still, McCabe has been an impact player on the teams he’s been a part of, which makes him such a valuable asset for a Maple Leafs’ squad that still hasn’t cracked the second round in the past decade.
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It is, however, still worth considering McCabe’s overall experience during the regular season and how that can come into play for the Maple Leafs in the first round. After all, 500 career games is still a notable feat for the second-round pick in 2012.
That experience is exactly why the Maple Leafs went out and acquired him at the deadline.
McCabe’s Play is Simple, But Reliable
On a winning franchise, McCabe is a reliable fourth, fifth or sixth defenceman. He’s a player that coaches can rely on to be consistent in his play and not have to micro-manage throughout games.
He’s poised in his own zone and plays a physical game that often leads to won puck battles in the defensive zone and while he might not be the best skater on the ice, his consistency with and without the puck make him a reliable option for his coach.
The fact is, McCabe plays a simple game. It makes him a go-to in tight games and a top-end option when the Maple Leafs are on the penalty kill as well. On a roster that so badly needed a healthy Jake Muzzin on their playoff roster, McCabe fits that hole quite well and should be a honourable replacement for Muzzin this time around.
“He competes. He’s not afraid of anything. He stands his ground, whether it’s to block a shot or to protect his net or his teammates,” said head coach Sheldon Keefe regarding McCabe. “There’s lots of reasons for a guy like that to be confident, go out with some swagger and compete.” (source – ‘’Leafs’ McCabe on cusp of first playoff game: ‘Sheer excitment’’ – Terry Koshan – Toronto Sun – 04/17/2023)
Getting Past the Playoff Jitters
Still, there will be some jitters for the veteran defenceman as he takes to the ice for his first playoff game in a city that eats and breathes playoff hockey. Quite frankly, the pressure has never been higher on the franchise to make it out of the first round and doing so against a franchise like the Lightning will be another tough task.
McCabe will be surrounded by some playoff experience on the Maple Leafs’ blue line which should help to relieve some of the pressure, but even so, the real pressure won’t be lifted until he gets on the ice and gets the first shift out of the way.
Still, the 29-year-old is keeping it light as he prepares for his first taste of NHL playoffs, sharing his thankfulness to the Maple Leafs for putting him in the position to play in the playoffs and speculating about just how well his beard might look.
Assuming he doesn’t grip his stick too tight, McCabe could end up being a difference maker in this series on both ends of the ice and when it comes to special teams for the Maple Leafs. A playoff rookie, he’s about to experience it in front of some playoff-hungry fans in Toronto.
