Leafs to face Washington in first round

By Emily Sadler and News Staff

We’ve said it before, but we’ll say it again: This could finally be the Washington Capitals’ year.

On paper, Washington is built to win now. All the pieces are in place, from Alex Ovechkin & Co., up front to defending Vezina Trophy winner Braden Holtby in the crease and a swift-skating group of defenders in between. (And just when we thought that blue line couldn’t get any better, they added top UFA-to-be Kevin Shattenkirk at the trade deadline.)

While some heavyweight teams stumbled into the post-season after securing their spot, the Capitals have kept the heat on. If they can keep up that momentum through Round 1, watch out.

While no one is surprised to see Washington in the post-season, the Toronto Maple Leafs have been surprising the hockey world all season long. The rookie-filled club has been one of the most exciting teams to watch this year, and their nail-biting last-minute playoff push to clinch the East’s final wild card spot was certainly no exception.

Aside from a post-season appearance in the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign (which, let’s be honest, most Leafs fans would rather forget anyway), the Leafs haven’t been in the playoffs since their second-round exit in 2004. Now, Toronto has finally cracked open its window of opportunity with a fresh, high-energy style of hockey that marks the start of a brighter future for the team.

Here’s a closer look at this David vs. Goliath matchup.

BROADCAST SCHEDULE
G1 Thurs., April 13 Toronto @ Washington, 7 p.m. ET CBC
G2 Sat., April 15 Toronto @ Washington, 7 p.m. ET CBC
G3 Mon., April 17 Washington @ Toronto, 7 p.m. ET CBC
G4 Wed., April 19 Washington @ Toronto, 7 p.m. ET CBC
G5* Fri., April 21 Toronto @ Washington, TBD
G6* Sun., April 23 Washington @ Toronto, TBD
G7* Tues., April 25 Toronto @ Washington, TBD

ADVANCED STATS:
Washington: 51.69 5on5 CF% (4th), .937 5on5 Sv% (1st), 9.34 5on5 Sh% (1st), 103.0 PDO (1st)

Toronto: 50.32 5on5 CF% (14th), .923 5on5 Sv% (19th), 8.33 5on5 Sh% (7th), 100.4 PDO (11th)

TEAM STATS:
Washington: 23.3 PP% (3rd), 84.1 PK% (6th), 261 GF (3rd), 175 GA (1st)

Toronto: 24.2 PP% (2nd), 82.3 PK% (9th), 248 GF (5th), 231 GA (22nd)

HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD
Washington: 2-1-0
Toronto: 1-1-1

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