{"id":892,"date":"2022-12-29T17:55:50","date_gmt":"2022-12-29T17:55:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oldprof.nhltradetalk.com\/?p=892"},"modified":"2022-12-29T17:55:52","modified_gmt":"2022-12-29T17:55:52","slug":"time-maple-leafs-fans-cheered-red-wings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oldprof.nhltradetalk.com\/index.php\/2022\/12\/29\/time-maple-leafs-fans-cheered-red-wings\/","title":{"rendered":"Is It Time for Maple Leafs Fans To Cheer for the Red Wings?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Stan Smith<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since starting the season off with a pedestrian 4-4-2 record, the Toronto Maple Leafs have since posted a record of 18-3-4.\u00a0That’s the second-best record in the NHL since the first of November. Unfortunately for the Maple Leafs, the team with the best record in that time period is the Boston Bruins, who have gone 20-3-3.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related: Reports of Maple Leafs\u2019 Tavares Decline Are Exaggerated<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Current Status of the Atlantic Division<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As of right now, the Atlantic Division standings look like this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Team<\/strong><\/td>Games Played<\/strong><\/td>Points<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Boston Bruins<\/td>35<\/td>59<\/td><\/tr>
Toronto Maple Leafs<\/td>35<\/td>50<\/td><\/tr>
Tampa Bay Lightning<\/td>33<\/td>43<\/td><\/tr>
Detroit Red Wings<\/td>33<\/td>37<\/td><\/tr>
Buffalo Sabres<\/td>32<\/td>34<\/td><\/tr>
Florida Panther<\/td>35<\/td>34<\/td><\/tr>
Ottawa Senators<\/td>34<\/td>33<\/td><\/tr>
Montreal Canadiens<\/td>35<\/td>33<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Even with the season less than halfway done, unless the Bruins collapse entirely, with a nine-point lead over the second-place Maple Leafs it appears that Boston finishing in first place is a given.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What About the Remaining Atlantic Division Teams?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Toronto is seven points up on Tampa Bay, but the Lightning has two games in hand over the Maple Leafs.\u00a0If the Lightning can win both of those games, the spread between the two teams will tighten to only three points.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we look below Tampa Bay in the standings, we see the Detroit Red Wings six points behind them in fourth place with the same number of games played.\u00a0According to the NHL schedule, the Lightning and the Red Wings are scheduled to meet two more times this season. Those games will be played on February 25th in Detroit and then again on April 13th in Tampa.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Matt Murray is helping the Maple Leafs put together a great season.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

If the Red Wings were to win both of those games, it would shrink Tampa Bay\u2019s lead over Detroit to just two points.\u00a0Those two wins would also help the Maple Leafs maintain their second-place position in the division as it would mean four fewer points for the Lightning.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related: Three Takeaways in Maple Leafs\u2019 5-4 OT Win vs. Blues<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What This All Means for the Postseason<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If the final standings in the Atlantic Division were identical to what they are now, the Maple Leafs would once again face the Lightning in the first round of the playoffs.\u00a0If the Red Wings were to somehow overtake the Lightning in the standings, the Red Wings would be the team the Maple Leafs would take on.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Would Auston Matthews like his Maple Leafs’ team to play the Lighting again this postseason?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Obviously, there are never any guarantees of winning during the playoffs. However, if the options are the Maple Leafs taking on the team that in the past three seasons has won two Stanley Cups and made it to the finals in the third year, or taking on a team that has not been past the first round of the playoffs in ten years, we have to think the preference would be the team that has not been the best team in the postseason over the past three seasons.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would the Maple Leafs Prefer to Play the Lightning Again?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

However, how would the Maple Leafs’ players feel about who they meet? Would they rather play the Lightning if they could? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who’s to say the Maple Leafs couldn\u2019t beat the Lightning in the first round this season?\u00a0 If not for a few controversial penalty calls and a hot goalie they could have defeated them last season.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But still\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Go Red Wings Go.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related: MAPLE LEAFS MARNER VS NYLANDER: WHO\u2019S THE BETTER VALUE THIS SEASON?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Should Toronto Maple Leafs’ fans cheer for the Detroit Red Wings? Or, would the Maple Leafs rather play Tampa Bay Lightning in the playoffs?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":391,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[35,33,22,36],"class_list":["post-892","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-toronto-maple-leafs","tag-auston-matthews","tag-ilya-samsonov","tag-matt-murray","tag-mitch-marner"],"yoast_head":"\nIs It Time for Maple Leafs Fans To Cheer for the Red Wings?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Should Toronto Maple Leafs' fans cheer for the Detroit Red Wings? 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