We’re in for a treat; the Montréal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs are continuing their epic rivalry in the Stanley Cup Playoffs! In this series preview, we will compare both teams and what must happen for them to prevail. Can Montréal upset Toronto? What would their first playoff series win do for the Maple Leafs, especially against a historical rival like the Canadiens? At the end, I will leave my prediction.
On offense, Toronto has a distinct advantage, but Montréal can close the gap. Obviously, the Maple Leafs have 41-goal scorer Auston Matthews, who led the league in goals this season. Then, you have to (try to) contain Mitch Marner, who’s been setting Matthews up all season. Did I mention Captain John Tavares or top-liner William Nylander? Luckily for the Habs, they can somewhat neutralize the star-studded Maple Leafs offense with their own weapons. Josh Anderson’s playstyle is playoff-friendly, and he can easily agitate Toronto’s defense; Tyler Toffoli is scoring at around a pro-rated 40-goal pace. If Jesperi Kotkaniemi can revert into their 2020 playoff forms and Cole Caufield can elevate his game in the postseason, like Kotkaniemi, Montréal’s offense will be comparable to Toronto’s.
The verdict: Toronto might possess the best offense in the league; Montréal might have an above-average offense if their young players click.
To contain the opposing team’s offense, both teams need to defend. Montréal has a significant advantage in this area. Not only do they have the likes of Shea Weber, Ben Chariot, Jeff Petry, Joel Edmundson, and Alexander Romanov, but they all play a physical style, which has proven to be the best playoff style. Moreover, Montréal’s mobile D-corps moves the puck like no other team, which is useful when breaking the puck out. Toronto is no slouch on D either. Morgan Rielly is excellent at moving the puck, and he plays a reliable two-way game. Jake Muzzin and T.J. Brodie both play smothering defense, and the rest of their D-corps all play a playoff-friendly style.
The verdict: Montréal has a top defense that moves the puck and defends; Toronto has an above-average D doing the same things Montréal’s defense does to a lesser extent.
Both teams have an advantage over the other, so who will win? I say the team with better goaltending moves on. Montréal’s main x-factor is Carey Price. Coming off an injury, can he turn it back up when it matters most as he did in the mid-2010s? If so, this could be a historic upset. Toronto has their goaltending questions: Who is their number one starter? Frederik Andersen was their starter for the past four years, but Jack Campbell started his season with 11 consecutive wins, an NHL record. I would trust Price more than Campbell or Andersen, though, because he’s shown he can carry a team as he did in 2014 and 2015, while neither Campbell nor Andersen has proven anything in the postseason.
I’m picking the Montréal Canadiens to win this series. They can easily upset the Maple Leafs if Price is his 2015 self. Though the Leafs have an offensive advantage, Montréal equalizes it with their defensive dominance. Dominant defense combined with a former Vezina Trophy winner leads to playoff victories. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if Toronto wins this series. If they do so, they might capture the Stanley Cup, knowing they’ve already won a playoff series. In this series, though, I believe the home team will win the first five games, giving the Maple Leafs a 3-2 series lead, before Caufield scores overtime goals in games six and seven, making me rejoice with screams once more.
Prediction: Montréal Canadiens win in seven thrilling games
