The Toronto Maple Leafs haven’t had very much playoff success in the Auston Matthews Era, but there really isn’t anything more they could have done – they have entered the playoffs with a top team for at least each of the last four years.
Each variation of the regular season Toronto Maple Leafs over the past seven years can be compared to Groundhog Day. Records are broken, power-play percentage skyrockets, hope blooms come spring; and then the same result: the Leafs vanish, like a shadow in the dark, from the post-season faster than the speed of light.
And, the one common variable is team defense.