Why the ''win a round or blow it up'' mentality may have woken a sleeping giant in the Leafs
Paul McLean put it best in the Amazon All or Nothing series. This team has demons. Demons everywhere; under their beds, in their closet, whenever they turn around. Their playoff demons rear their heads every year, laughing as the Leafs throw away their post season dreams year after year.
This season, more than any other, hasn't mattered in the slightest. Nothing the Leafs could have done in the regular season would have mattered; not even winning the presidents' trophy. They finished 4th in the league with a franchise record 115 points, and it doesn't matter at all. The playoffs are the only thing that matter this year, the only thing that this team will be remembered for.
Thanks to the murderer's row that is the Atlantic Division, the Toronto Maple Leafs drew the Tampa Bay Lightning (the NHL's two-time defending champs) in the first round. They will face a playoff-hardened, veteran team looking to cement their claim to the NHL's first true dynasty of the league's cap era.
At first glance, this appears to be the Leafs playoff demons rising up to smack down yet another Leafs team after a record breaking season. However, at closer glance, is it a demon or an opportunity?
The Leafs came into this year with a "win a round or blow it up" attitude around the team. That has lessened somewhat (especially after drawing the Lightning), but the fact remains that there will likely be changes if this team loses in the first round yet again.
But they're not up against a team that they "should" beat, not like they were with Montreal or the most recent loss to Boston. They're up against a team that they have no choice but to play up to. They're up against a team that nobody in their right mind would give them an edge against.
Maybe that's the secret of it all? Maybe the Leafs need to go through the best to be the best. After all, their path to the cup would likely take them through of Tampa regardless, and getting it out of the way in the first round could be the secret to success.
Either way, the fact remains that this team is still haunted by the meme that they have made themselves into. They're surrounded by playoff demons of their own making. They're surrounded by the memories of their failures. Can they overcome it? Or will they fall to their demons yet again? One thing is for certain, the Leafs will be the one to win this series. Whether it's for them or their opponent remains to be seen.
| POLL | ||
2 MAI | 423 ANSWERS Why the ''win a round or blow it up'' mentality may have woken a sleeping giant in the Leafs How many series will the Leafs win this year? | ||
| 1 | 20 | 4.7 % |
| 2 | 98 | 23.2 % |
| 3 | 88 | 20.8 % |
| First round exit or Stanley Cup | 217 | 51.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
