Eastern Conference Final

Toronto Mapleleafs (4) - (42-21-3-16 - 103 pts) vs Montreal Canadiens (2) - (48-21-4-9 - 109 pts)

Season Series: 4-3-1-0 Montreal

The Mapleleafs continued their magical run by knocking off the Eastern Conference champions Florida Panthers. Down 3-2 in the series and losing starting goaltender Pavel Francouz, things looked bleak for the buds. Enter goaltender Antti Raanta. With Toronto facing elimination he comes in and earns a 23 save shutout to force a game 7. How do you top that you may ask? He stops 26 of 27 shots and is named first star in Toronto's 3-1 series clinching victory. The question now becomes who gets the start against Montreal? We'll see how Mr.Hird handles this pleasant conundrum. The Leafs have really come together and are playing Dave Lewis's kind of hockey. Close checking and burying their chances. Bryan Rust continues to lead Toronto in scoring and his hustle has rubbed off on his teammates. William Karlsson, Adam Henrique, and J.T.Miller are showing leadership and will provide Montreal with all kinds of problems in this most anticipated matchup. Alex Edler and Andy Green are providing solid defensive play while chipping in with some offense. Overall the Mapleleafs gamble of being all in is one step closer to reality.

There's one problem in their way however. The Montreal Canadiens are showing why they're always in championship contention even going through a transitional phase in team development. Even facing adversity after game 2 against the New York Islanders, they showed their experience and mental fortitude by taking the next three games and crushing any hopes for my Isles of advancing to the next round. The focus of the Leafs will be Habs center Leon Draisaitl. Leading Montreal in scoring, as he goes so do les Canadiens. A truly gifted player, his hockey sense and IQ are practically second to none. A great skater, he can dominate a game or even a series by himself. With 12 points in his last 7 games it's needless to say he is the engine that runs Larry Robinson's offense. A pleasant surprise has been the play of Jesper Bratt. He really took off in the series against the Islanders and if he can keep it up it bodes well for secondary scoring that'salwaysneededat this time of year. Evander Kane and Joel Armia are their steady selves and continue to push the action with their speed and size. Defenceman Charles McAvoy has looked good so far replacing Roman Josi but can he keep it up? Codi Ceci has stepped up his play and has taken some of the pressure off of Ryan Mcdonagh and David Savard. Backstopping the Canadiens is goaltender Martin Jones. Sporting an 8-0 record with a 1.79 GAA paired with a .929%, I just knew he'd only be better after his playoff experience from the previous year. Poise and his calm demeanor has given his defense confidence in knowing that any mistakes will be taken care of. The Habs look ready to make yet another appearance in the Cup Final but I believe Toronto may have an answer for them. As a hockey fan I'm truly looking forward to a great series!

Prediction: Toronto in 7