Game 1 of the first-round series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Tampa Bay Lightning begins on Tuesday, April 18, in Toronto. Given the two team’s regular season records, the Maple Leafs might be slight favorites in almost everyone’s books.
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The Lightning have been struggling this season. That said, they have had a strong playoff record over the past few seasons. And, anything can happen in the playoffs. Tampa Bay has shown that they can win in the postseason, but it remains to be seen whether they can continue that success for a fourth season in a row.
As the two teams prepare for the series, in this edition of Maple Leafs News & Rumors, I’ll look at some of the player news and moves the team has done.
Item One: Wayne Simmonds Might Be Getting Ready, Just in Case
Wayne Simmonds has been recalled from the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Toronto Marlies. The report I saw was that he is expected to start the playoffs as an extra for the Maple Leafs.
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Simmonds has had an interesting season so far. Really, the organization was winding him down all season it seemed. He recorded only two assists. However, in limited time (he only played 18 games), he had 44 hits and 49 penalty minutes. It will be interesting to see how he contributes during the playoffs. That said, the Lightning might be trying to go really physical with the Maple Leafs. So, we’ll see.
Item Two: Ilya Samsonov Good to Go for Game 1
Ilya Samsonov is good to go for Game 1 against the Lightning on Tuesday. He had missed the last two games of the regular season, but he is expected to get the start in goal for the Maple Leafs.
Samsonov had a solid regular season, finishing with a 27-10-5 record, 2.33 goals-against average (GAA), and a .919 save percentage (SV%). It will be interesting to see how he performs in the playoffs. From what else I’ve read, he seems confident heading into the postseason.
Item Three: Matt Murray Is Back on His Skates
Matt Murray has started to skate over the last couple of days. After Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe just refused to call it a concussion, it was reported that that’s what he had suffered. He took a fall when he was accidentally undercut in his crease in a game on April 2 against the Detroit Red Wings. He had missed the final six games of the regular season.
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However, Murray is unlikely to dress for Game 1 of the playoffs on Tuesday. Instead, Samsonov is expected to start with Joseph Woll as his backup. Murray finished the regular season with a 14-8-2 record, a 3.01 GAA, and a .903 SV%. At this time, he’s considered day-to-day.
Item Four: Sam Lafferty Returning for Game 1
Sam Lafferty is expected to be back at practice today. He had missed the last three games of the regular season due to a personal matter, but coach Keefe said that Lafferty was on his way back to Toronto.
It’s expected that Lafferty, who scored 12 goals and added 15 assists (for 27 points) in 70 games this season, will be in the lineup for Game 1 against Tampa Bay.
Item Five: The Core Four’s Regular-Season Scoring
As almost all NHL fans know, the Maple Leafs are led by a strong group of forwards, often referred to as the “Core Four.” This group consists of William Nylander, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and John Tavares. The group has been performing well this season.
Both Nylander and Matthews have scored 40 goals. Marner has had an exceptional season with 99 points. And, Tavares has been a force on the power play, leading the NHL with 18 power-play goals.
Overall, the Maple Leafs’ Core Four has contributed significantly to the team’s success this season. In looking at the specific numbers for both right-wingers, Marner played in 80 games and scored 30 goals while adding 69 assists (for a total of 99 points). He also had a plus/minus rating of plus-18 and played an average of 21:17 per game. Nylander played in all 82 games and scored 40 goals while adding 47 assists (for a total of 87 points). He had a plus/minus rating of plus-10 and played an average of 18:33 per game.
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Of the two centers of the Core Four, Matthews played 74 games and scored 40 goals while adding 45 assists (for a total of 85 points). He had a plus/minus rating of plus-31 and played an average of 20:17 per game. Finally, Tavares played in 80 games and scored 36 goals while adding 44 assists (for a total of 80 points). He had a plus/minus rating of minus-7 and played an average of 17:39 per game.
What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?
On the books, it looks like it will be a challenge for the Maple Leafs to beat Andrei Vasilevskiy. And, if they can’t beat the Lightning’s goalie, they can’t beat the Lightning in the playoffs.
Vasilevskiy is considered one of the best goalies in the league and has a track record of success in the playoffs. However, the Maple Leafs do have a strong offensive group; and, if they can find ways to generate high-quality scoring chances, they can get the better of him. Even the greatest goalies in the world can’t stop every shot.
As for Samsonov, he’s had a strong season statistically. Still, it remains to be seen how he’ll perform in the high-pressure context of the playoffs. The playoffs can be unpredictable. A hot goalie can sometimes determine the outcome of an entire series. Maple Leafs fans have to hope that goalie is their own Russian.
Obviously, the Maple Leafs need to play their best hockey. If they can, they’ll find ways to capitalize on their chances. That’s the tipping point. If they can beat Vasilevskiy, they will advance in the playoffs.
