Despite a bit of an up and down year, the Toronto Maple Leafs are quite clearly one of the NHL’s best teams.
If you compare them statistically to Tampa and Boston, there isn’t much difference. Other than the win column.
But the Leafs turned over half their roster last summer, then they switched coaches in the middle of the season (after a six game losing streak). They didn’t play their optimal lineup a single time, and their star goalie had the worst year of his career, despite much improved team defense over the last several years.