Although the Toronto Maple Leafs had made the playoffs four years prior, this year felt more important.
When the team had advanced in 2013, they did it in a shortened season and outperformed their capabilities. If that season had been extended to 82 games, they most likely wouldn’t have actually made the playoffs.
That’s what made April 8, 2017 so special. For the first time since 2004, the Leafs actually had an opportunity to make the playoffs in a full 82-game schedule.
After tanking in the 2015-16 season and rebuilding the Leafs roster, the team was looking to improve in 2016-17, yet playoffs were most likely not in the question.