Why Leafs will win 2024 Stanley Cup

A team can’t win the Stanley Cup unless they score goals, and the Maple Leafs have one of the best offenses in hockey. The team is third overall in the NHL for goals forced this year, per league stats. The Maple Leafs have scored a total of 292 goals, behind only the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche.

The leader of the team’s offense is center Auston Matthews. Matthews leads the team in total points, with 107 on the season. His production includes 69 goals, and 38 assists. Matthews has more goals than any other skater on the ice this season, and that red-hot scoring should definitely help his team in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Maple Leafs have an advantage every time they take the ice, and the center makes the most of his opportunities. That’s not the only reason though, that Toronto has a chance to win it all this year.

Lineups clicking at the right time

The Maple Leafs seem to have found a group that is working together quite well on the ice. Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe is using Matthews as the center of the line, with wingers Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi. Keefe has had to experiment with his shift lineups due to injuries, and this combination of players is pleasing to Keefe. The coach feels like those three guys have solid chemistry.

“This is not just a short-term thing. That’s a real thing that gives our team a completely different look,” Keefe said, per The Hockey News. “We’ve been wanting to give that time and you look at other things, you know, for me, you’re trying to balance getting chemistry and continuity.”

The lineup seems to be working quite well. The Maple Leafs are moving into the playoffs, having won six of their last 10 games, with one overtime loss counting as one of the defeats. The team is third in the Eastern Conference’s Atlantic Division, with 102 total points on the year.

Defense has some depth

While the Maple Leafs are stronger on offense than defense, the team is certainly able to get the saves they need to win games. Toronto has given up 250 goals this season, which is right in the middle of the pack in the NHL, at 16th in the league.

The Maple Leafs have used three goalies in net this year. The most successful has been Ilya Samsonov, who has 23 of the team’s wins. Samsonov also has a save percentage of 89 percent. Those are not eye-popping numbers, and the goaltender has seemed to cool down in recent games. The good news for Toronto is that the team has some depth at the spot, as both Joseph Woll and Martin Jones have also spent time in net. It’s been goalie by committee for Toronto, and that deep breath of experience in the defense can keep Toronto afloat in case there are any injuries as the playoffs wear on. Not every playoff team will be able to say they have three goalies who have played in at least 20 games this season. Toronto has exactly that.

The Maple Leafs are 46-24-10 on the season, with two more games left in the regular season. The Maple Leafs next play Tuesday against the Florida Panthers. The team is then headed to the Stanley Cup playoffs, to achieve something the franchise hasn’t done in more than 50 years.