The Toronto Maple Leafs have had their fate known for awhile and as of last night it has become official that the Toronto Maple Leafs will play the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2023 Stanley cup playoffs for the second year in a row.
With the positions already firmly in place, the Maple Leafs can focus on getting healthy and strategizing for their first round series and hope to get some revenge on last season.
Since thet Maple Leafs have nowhere to go in the standings, these final games do not hold much value other than to stack personal statistics, so the Maple Leafs are choosing the smart path and resting some of their players.
The Leafs are resting Mitch Marner, Jake McCabe, and Mark Giordano tonight against the Red Wings.
Nick Abruzzese, Wayne Simmonds, and Conor Timmins enter the lineup in their place.� Jonas Siegel (@jonassiegel) April 2, 2023
While if you ask any hockey player they would love to be in every game, but with there no place to go in the standings, and this years playoffs having more pressure on the team than usual, the smarter play here is to let their players rest so they don't risk injuries for the playoffs.
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Is this a good decision by Toronto? | ||
yes | 56 | 70 % |
no | 24 | 30 % |
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