Today the Maple Leafs documentary “All or Nothing will be released on Amazon prime and the reviews are mixed, but they all lead to most who have seen it wanting more. I have not seen it yet, but I do feel very strongly about this team….a team I legit picked to win it all last season. My team previews this year are all designed to be as positive as possible, so I am going with the concept of why each team could win the Stanley Cup. This team is real challenge in the fact that they are absolutely talented enough to win it all, but they have yet to show any ability to win in the playoffs when everything matters…
All that being said…..here we go…
Why the Toronto Maple Leafs WILL Win the Stanley Cup:
I am getting right to it...Mrazek.
That will be the difference this season. Campbell is solid and will likely start the season as the starter...but the incumbent WILL be beaten out by November by Mrazek...and here is why… Campbell is solid. Andersen was solid as well. Toronto is not the greatest team defensively, and both goalies last season kept the Leafs in many games with some big saves. Keeping an “iffy” defensive team in the game is huge, but stealing games, especially in the playoffs is where Mrazek is better. He also is better when facing more shots...perfect example:
Last playoffs, the Canes players Mrazek in two games against Tampa in the playoffs. In the first game Mrazek STOLE a game from the eventual Cup champs..He was spectacular..Mrazek stopped 35 of 37 games a 946 save percentage in a Canes OT win. In the next game, the Bolts didn’t attack and won 6-4. Mrazek stopped 20 of 26 shots…
The Leafs need to play offensive attacking hockey. That is how they are built. They need to play solid defense when they need to lock it down, but to consistently win 2-1 games is not the way they are built. Mrazek will help with that.
* Auston Matthews is the best goal scorer in the NHL right now. No question. As I have said many times before, I think generational players are even better when they have something they do better than anyone else. Matthews’ super power is his ability to receive, control, and turn ANY pass sent at him that is within 6 feet of him...even lasers that are a meter high..
* William Nylander is about to take a HUGE step. This kid has it in hiom to be a point a game guy. His inconsistency has been legendary, but when he is on his game he has Draisaitl type skill. If he gets to the point where he is playing at his best 80% of the time versus 50% of the time Nylander is a game changer.
* Nick Ritchie is not Zach Hyman, but he can do a reasonable job at playing that roll...I wouldn’t play him on the top line however…
* John Tavares is a competitor and the way things ended last year I HAVE to imagine he will be loaded for bear.
* I keep hearing great stuff about some of the young prospects…
* All that said, it will be the confidence they get from Mrazek that enables this offense to put away the ghosts. A great goalie can make a team offensively much better because they get to play the attack and not play "not to lose."
In conclusion...
The Leafs were a bounce away from putting away the Canadiens in 5 last season. If they win that game 5 in OT they could have just as easily seen themselves in the Cup Finals….they have lost some players and some will say they have not replaced them..But the players they lost were not exactly winning this team championships...Its time for some of the Marlies to really mix in.
And it is for all those reasons and more that the Toronto Maple Leafs are going to win the 2022 Stanley Cup. Yonge Street….be ready.
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