Puck Prose
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Puck Prose round table: Picking the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs

By Matt McGinnis

TAMPA, FLORIDA - JUNE 26: J.T. Compher #37 of the Colorado Avalanche and Steven Stamkos #91 of the Tampa Bay Lightning shake hands after the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in Game Six of the 2022 NHL Stanley Cup Final at Amalie Arena on June 26, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FLORIDA - JUNE 26: J.T. Compher #37 of the Colorado Avalanche and Steven Stamkos #91 of the Tampa Bay Lightning shake hands after the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in Game Six of the 2022 NHL Stanley Cup Final at Amalie Arena on June 26, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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Toronto Maple Leafs, Auston Matthews #34, Tampa Bay Lightning, Brayden Point #21
Toronto Maple Leafs, Auston Matthews #34, Tampa Bay Lightning, Brayden Point #21. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /

Toronto Maple Leafs vs Tampa Bay Lightning

Jim Lynch

It’s the same story every year. Can the Maple Leafs find a way to win a playoff series?

This year, after stacking up the team so much, and entering round one against a Lightning team that has not been playing great as of late, it looks like the Leafs could finally be heading to a series win. Which is why I will say they lose in six games.

Matt McGinnis

The Toronto Maple Leafs should win this series. However, until I see it, I won’t believe it. Instead, I’ll take the Bolts to vanquish the Leafs yet again in seven games.

Andrei Vasilevskiy gets the nod here as series MVP, shutting out Toronto in Game 7 to clinch the series.

Vinnie Parise

The Toronto Maple Leafs will finally break through and win their first playoff series with this core. Auston Matthews had a good year but wasn’t the MVP like last year. He, along with William Nylander and Mitch Marner, are ready for the playoffs.

Richard Jelinek

The Toronto Maple Leafs come in a hungry bunch against a tough opponent in the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Maple Leafs finally get out of the first round, eliminating Tampa Bay in six games. Series MVP will be Ilya Samsonov, and Auston Matthews finishes with only one point.

Alex Neier

I am going with the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games. I think this is finally the year they break through, and with all the trade deadline acquisitions they made, it is imperative they go on a run in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, or change will be near.

The Lightning will be a very tough matchup, but I think all of the playoff hockey they’ve played over the last three seasons will finally catch up to them. For my out of box prediction, I say the Leafs will blow out Tampa in Game 7 by a margin of 4+ goals.

Jaroslav Husvar

The Leafs will win in five games. The only way Tampa can advance is Jeannot coming back from injury and becoming the series MVP (cannot expect anything less from a player who cost FIVE! draft picks). Just kidding, Marner will show what he is capable of, absolutely taking over the series.

Everyone cheering and working for Tampa thinks the team can win it again. I don’t see this coming. After the season Toronto had, they have to advance this year.

Brad Wiszowaty

Tampa has to get tired from playing so much hockey eventually, but I do not think it will be in round one, so I’ll say Tampa in seven. Believe me, I really wanted to pick Toronto, but it is difficult to go against a team that has made three Finals in a row.

If Toronto was playing almost any other team, I think I would choose them, and honestly, I hope they win. I think the series MVP will be Brayden Point. My bold prediction is that although Tampa wins, Ilya Samsonov has a better series than Andrei Vasilevskiy.

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