Here it goes again. For the second consecutive year, the Toronto Maple Leafs square off against the class of the Eastern Conference in the Tampa Bay Lightning in what could be a franchise-defining series for the Scotiabank Arena denizens.
The No. 2 seed Maple Leafs are tougher, more balanced, more experienced with their stars entering their apex years and yet, the question still remains: is this the year the Maple Leafs finally win a round? Kyle Dubas’s immediate future relies upon it and make no mistake, drastic changes are in order if this group can’t get past the three-time conference champion Lightning, who are looking to fortify their legacy as one of the all-time great NHL teams.