The Toronto Maple Leafs are in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Their reward: A first-round meeting with the NHL's best team, the Washington Capitals.
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With 55 wins, 118 points and a plus-81 goal differential, the Capitals are much more than a team with Alexander Ovechkin. They are a force up and down the lineup.
Goalie Braden Hotlby leads the league with 42 wins and 9 shutouts. His 2.07 goals against average is just behind Sergei Bobrovsky's league-best 2.06 GAA.
Fourteen Capitals have more than 20 points including T.J. Oshie and Ovechkin, who both scored 33 goals this season. Washington has been a perennial let-down in the postseason. But this year, this time around, it's time to believe. They are just too solid from front to back. Anything less than a trip to the Stanley Cup final is a bust for the Capitals.
This is what the Maple Leafs are dealing with: a team of destiny. Yet, this young group led by 19-year-old Auston Matthews has made believers out of us all this season. Coach Mike Babcock's lineup features a list of young stars including Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Connor Brown, Jake Gardiner and Morgan Reilly. They played inspired hockey for most of the season and are a true wild card in these playoffs.
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Leafs' veterans need to step up
However, much like the Edmonton Oilers, if the Leafs want to make it out of the first round they will need strong play from their veterans. It's a short list with relatively young guys including Nazem Kadri, James Van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak, Brian Boyle, Matt Hunwick, Matt Martin, Roman Polak and Leo Komarov. This is the group which needs to lead the Maple Leafs and keep them steady enough to pull off an upset.
Goalie Frederik Andersen may be outmatched by Holtby, but he has shown he can steal a game or two for Toronto. Andersen's play hasn't been too strong as of late, which may lead to a goaltending problem for Babcock if things go south quickly against the high-powered Capitals.
The Leafs and Capitals will play Game 1 at 7 p.m. Thursday in Washington. The Leafs went 1-1-0-1 against the Caps this season.
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