Three Maple Leafs Players Officially Called Out By Toronto Reporter
Photo credit: Brad Penner - USA Today Sports
With the playoffs right around the corner, well-known Toronto Maple Leafs pundit Steve Simmons calls out three of the team's top players, including captain Auston Matthews.
Every year brings about the same level of pressure, frustration, and anticipation as the post-season is set to commence. There's always a little bit of nervous energy for all teams involved but perhaps none more than the Toronto Maple Leafs and it's fan base.
This will be their 9th consecutive post-season berth, but as we are all painfully aware, the Leafs have been ousted out of the first round in 7 of the last 8 spring dances.
This year feels a little different with Craig Berube behind the bench, Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll playing lights out, the defense having improved exponentially since the trade deadline, and the core players leading the charge offensively to end the season.
However due to their improved play, expectations have risen and Steve Simmons from the Toronto Sun is one of many within the media calling out the core players to shape up ahead of a very important post-season run.
The Maple Leafs won't be playing Tampa Bay, Florida, or Boston in the first round but the Ottawa Senators still possess a threat with players like Brady Tkachuk. Nevertheless with a division crown in the bag, the Leafs are assuredly the favourites and anything less will not be tolerated by most, especially not from the outspoken Simmons.
"The great divide of this matchup with the Senators is the top-end talent of the Leafs. It couldn't be utilized all that well last year against Boston because of mystery ailments that forced both forced Nylander and Matthews to miss five games.
Now everybody is as healthy as you're supposed to be at this time of the year. The big guys need to be the big guys for the Leafs. The big guys need to do what they haven't done before."
Now everybody is as healthy as you're supposed to be at this time of the year. The big guys need to be the big guys for the Leafs. The big guys need to do what they haven't done before."
Simmons continued by stating that the core players should be well aware of their missteps over the years, primarily in elimination games. He believes they should be more than prepared for the challenges ahead and if not, severe questions need to be asked.
"They scored one goal against Boston. They scored 10 goals in a five-game series loss to Florida in 2023. In elimination games from 2017 to 2022, the Leafs went 0-6 against Tampa Bay, Montreal, Columbus, Boston (twice) and Washington and scored eight goals in six games."
He finishes off by stating that this is by far the best team they've had over their 9 years but the buck stops with the core players and whether or not they can rise to the occasion.
"You stop at Marner, Matthews, Nylander and Tavares and ask: Can they do what we've seen Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl do, what Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point do, what Sasha Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk managed last year?
The best players have to be the best players, this series is on them.
Once again. Like it has been for each of the past nine seasons."
The best players have to be the best players, this series is on them.
Once again. Like it has been for each of the past nine seasons."
We will soon find out what the 2024-25 Maple Leafs are made of when the puck drops at the Scotiabank Arena on Sunday night for Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs.
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AVRIL 17 | 3582 ANSWERS Three Maple Leafs Players Officially Called Out By Toronto Reporter What is the Toronto Maple Leafs' biggest strength heading into the post-season? | ||
| Offensive firepower | 980 | 27.4 % |
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| Defense | 477 | 13.3 % |
| Coaching | 497 | 13.9 % |
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