Toronto hockey fans looking forward to a historic playoffs season!

BY MARCEL MARIAK

Diehard Canadian hockey fans always look forward to a great playoff season. Within two short months, they get to see some of the league’s best face-off for the coveted Stanley Cup. While the NHL playoffs are always engaging, they rarely come with so much anticipation. The 2021 playoffs are shaping up to be a uniquely exciting event – especially for Canadian hockey fans.

This year, for the first time since 1979, the Toronto Maple Leafs will square off against their historic rivals, the Montreal Canadiens. Although the 1979 playoffs ended badly for the Leafs when they got swept 4 – 0 in the series, Toronto fans are hopeful for a better performance this time around.

With the two teams sharing the oldest rivalry in the sport, fans are looking forward to an action-packed and emotional showdown. Montreal and Toronto have been diehard rivals since they were part of the Original 6 and have been battling for over 100 years.

Canadian hockey fans always love a Leafs – Canadiens showdown. Between the emotion-packed atmosphere and the increased chances to witness a hockey fight, the seats are always packed when the rivals are in town – at least they were always packed. Many people in the hockey community thought that the 2021 playoffs would see the COVID-19 defeated and sold-out seats at arenas. While there’s no chance of things going back to normal by the end of the playoffs, a few lucky hockey fans might be able to witness a game of this historic series.

The Quebec government recently announced that the Bell Centre (and other similar indoor venues) would be able to host up to 2,500 people starting May 28^th. What this means is that a couple thousand fans could have the chance to watch Game 6 of the series in person (if the series lasts that long.) Game 7, of course, would then go back to Toronto where everything remains locked down.

Currently, Montreal leads the series 1-0, which makes Toronto fans a bit nervous – bringing back bitter memories from 1979. The first game of the series was a rough one for Toronto. From the first period, the Leafs struggled to find their stride in the offensive zone. They seemed out of sorts, missing passes and losing the puck often. Montreal managed to take advantage of one of these turnovers midway through the first period and scored on a breakaway.

The first period also included a gut-wrenching injury to Toronto’s captain, John Tavares. After a legal check knocked him to the ice, Tavares was accidentally kneed in the head by Montreal’s Corey Perry. The players and officials waited in silence as the captain struggled to get up and remained on the ice for over seven minutes before being taken out on a stretcher. Despite the brutal collision, Tavares was conscious as he was being wheeled out and showed a thumbs up to reassure his team and supporters. Tavares was taken to hospital where his tests came back clear and he stayed overnight. Although the collision was unintentional, hockey justice was swiftly administered when play resumed. Toronto’s Foligno dropped the gloves with Corey Perry in an attempt to avenge his captain – and avenge him he did. During the brief fight, Perry didn’t get the chance to throw a single punch while Foligno teed off. Eventually, Perry gave up, fell over, and both players were given five-minute penalties.

Moving into the second period, the Leafs looked like they were done warming up and began to put more offensive pressure on the Habs. They consistently threatened to score and kept the Canadiens on high alert. A handful of minutes into the period, Nylander got a rebound goal to tie the score at 1-1. The Leafs continued to put on the pressure throughout the second quarter but Montreal goalie, Carey Price, stopped every subsequent scoring attempt.

In the final period, the teams both seemed equally committed to winning. The puck changed hands often as both clubs made countless attacking charges. In the end, Montreal managed to take the game-winning point when Paul Byron scored a stunning goal while sliding on his knees. After that, Montreal seized the initiative and continued to pressure the Leafs’ defence until the game ended with a score of 2-1 for Montreal.