The Toronto Maple Leafs have only advanced past the first round of the playoffs once in their last eight appearances in the past 21 years. They also hold an NHL record for the longest Stanley Cup drought at 56 seasons and counting.
However, fans and analysts feel that this year might be different.
Projected Lineups for Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Ottawa Senators l Game 1
The Maple Leafs had a 9-1-0 record in the final regular-season stretch. They have a tough coach in Craig Berube, with plenty of playoff experience, who won the Stanley Cup in 2019 with the St. Louis Blues.
“I think our guys have done a good job of it. So yeah, I think we’re in a good spot, but we’ve got to keep making sure we’re pounding away at it and keep working on it and be ready to go,” Berube said via NHL.com.
Toronto also has all of its top players in the lineup for Game 1. The Maple Leafs got a massive boost with the return of veteran defensemen Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Jake McCabe from injury. Both players have been crucial parts of why the Maple Leafs have been so stingy in front of the goal this season.
Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Mitch Marner, and John Tavares are a formidable offensive unit for Toronto. They will also be itching to prove themselves, with only one playoff series win (2023 vs. the Tampa Bay Lightning) to their names.
On the other hand, the Ottawa Senators will be looking to captain Brady Tkachuk to lead them to victory. Tkachuk is the team’s top goal scorer, with 29 goals this season. They will also lean on veteran goalie Linus Ullmark and young, talented players like Tim Stützle, Jake Sanderson, Shane Pinto, and Ridly Greig.
The Senators have also swept the season series against the Maple Leafs this season, winning the much-vaunted “Battle of Ontario” on three occasions.
Maple Leafs Projected Lineup
Forwards
Matthew Knies — Auston Matthews — Mitch Marner
Pontus Holmberg — John Tavares — William Nylander
Bobby McMann — Max Domi — Nicholas Robertson
Steven Lorentz — Scott Laughton — Calle Jarnkrok
Defensemen
Morgan Rielly — Brandon Carlo
Jake McCabe — Chris Tanev
Simon Benoit — Philippe Myers
Goalies
Anthony Stolarz
Joseph Woll
Scratched
None
Injured
Jani Hakanpää (lower body), Max Pacioretty (undisclosed), David Kampf (upper body), Oliver Ekman-Larsson (upper body)
Senators Projected Lineup
Forwards
Brady Tkachuk — Tim Stützle — Claude Giroux
David Perron — Dylan Cozens — Drake Batherson
Ridly Greig — Shane Pinto — Michael Amadio
Nick Cousins — Adam Gaudette — Fabian Zetterlund
Defensemen
Jake Sanderson — Nick Jensen
Thomas Chabot — Artem Zub
Tyler Kleven — Nikolas Matinpalo
Goalies
Linus Ullmark
Anton Forsberg
Scratched
Dennis Gilbert, Travis Hamonic, Matthew Highmore
Injured
Hayden Hodgson (lower body)
