Maple Leafs can do something they haven't done in five years

With a dominant 7-2 win against the Oilers, the Maple Leafs are set to do something they haven't done in the last half-decade as they look to define their season.

Look, we all expected Toronto to come into Edmonton with their three-game win streak in jeopardy especially with how hot Connor McDavid and the rest of the Oilers have been. But instead, the team decided to trounce them to the tune of a 7-2 victory that saw goals from some likely and very unlikely sources.

That made it four wins in a row, and kicked off their four-game Western road trip on the right foot. Up next are the Calgary Flames on Monday, the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday, and the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday after two days' rest.

Toronto has a chance to prove they're better now than they've been in years

Those are some very winnable games, with only the Kraken really presenting a serious challenge, but if the Maple Leafs can weather the storm and hit their stride at the precise moment - they can do something they haven't done in five years.

The last time the Maple Leafs went out West and swept the road series was in November 2021 when they went 3-0-0 against the California trio of Anaheim, San Jose, and Los Angeles.

Then, the last time they did it with Western Canadian teams was in April 2021 where they won four in a row against Winnipeg and Calgary in the COVID-19-affected 2020-21 season.

Besides that though, the team has not managed to show that level of dominance but this year looks like it could lead into something special. The team that rattled off those three wins in California had names like Wayne Simmonds, Alex Kerfoot, Jason Spezza (past his prime) and Jake Muzzin was still an active player.

Toronto may have their most complete roster in the Matthews era

The team they have now is a lot more focused and has a purpose throughout all four lines, it's not just a meshing of players who might work together. Jim Hiller just sent out his fourth line grinders to protect a lead against Connor McDavid - we're in a different spot for sure.

This very well could be the best pure collective of players in the Matthews era. There was always talent yes, but not with this level of synergy. The duo of Easton Cowan and Auston Matthews may be the new 1-2 punch up front for Toronto, and the addition of players like Nick Paul has settled everyone down.

Oh, and Gavin McKenna has 8 points, Kirill Marchenko has 14 points through 13 games, Morgan Rielly has 9 assists, and that fourth line? Yeah, they just put up a combined nine points over the last two games.

Their penalty kill also just decided to be the best we've ever seen too - having the best PK start in NHL history. They have killed 40 of 42 penalties to start the season, and just went perfect on their only power play against Edmonton.

Combine that with the passion that guys like Troy Stecher have and suddenly this is an exciting, hungry, and extremely cohesive Maple Leafs team.

It's one we haven't seen in years, and it might lead to the result that fans have wanted for nearly 60 years - a Stanley Cup win.

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