NHL Insiders Confirm Toronto Maple Leafs' Game 1 Start Date of the Stanley Cup Playoffs

With the NHL playoffs set to kick off about a week from now, the Toronto Maple Leafs are going to be in tough against their first round opponents whoever it may be.

The question though lately has been when do we get that first game of the playoffs?

Toronto ends the season on the 17th of April and with the playoffs set to start a couple days later, do they have enough time to rest?

Well, according to Nick Kypreos and Justin Bourne, we can confirm the Maple Leafs start their playoffs on Sunday, April 20; giving them a bit more time to rest.

This news was also confirmed by NHL Insider Chris Johnston as well.

The team also put out their Game One tickets out for purchase which confirmed the April 20th date.

The timing of the schedule is a blessing for the Maple Leafs given that they are dealing with some pretty tough injuries as we close the season and need to be at their best come the first round.

So with knowing the playoffs kick off for Toronto on the 20th, we get six days for Jake McCabe, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and David Kampf to get healthy, and also potentially see the return of Max Pacioretty as well.

The Leafs play Tuesday against the Sabres and have their season finale against the Red Wings on Thursday, so we'll get a much better look at what a playoff roster will look like; and it's the last chance for some to secure their spot.

But it's also going to be a test for the Maple Leafs given they will probably be without McCabe, Ekman-Larsson, or Kampf for the rest of the season, and Craig Berube has to figure out who can withstand the most pressure.

It's will be interesting to see if the extra time to rest helps the Maple Leafs injured recover enough before they take the ice in Game One.

What a way to kick off Easter, then with the first game of Toronto's long (hopefully) playoff run.

More details to come.