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Ryan Whitney on Toronto Maple Leafs winning the Stanley Cup this season - "Zero chance"
Speaking on the Spittin' Chiclets Podcast, former NHL defenseman Ryan Whitney recently declared that the Toronto Maple Leafs have "zero chance" of winning the Stanley Cup this year. After the Maple Leafs' struggles this season, it may be trending that way.
Whitney's critique of the Toronto Maple Leafs was blunt, as he used terms like "average". He drew attention to one damning statistic — Toronto having more regulation wins than just a handful of teams that have been near the NHL's lower tier such as Chicago, San Jose, Anaheim, Columbus, Ottawa, Montreal, and Minnesota.
"Those are the only teams with less regulation wins than the Toronto Maple Leafs," Whitney said. "This team is so average. You know what? I'm going to say it's, it's a good team. It's not even remotely close to a great Stanley Cup contending team."
Whitney pointed out the vulnerability of the Leafs against top-tier teams. Despite acknowledging the individual talent of Toronto's key players, like Auston Matthews, Mitchell Marner, William Nylander, and John Tavares, the 40-year-old questioned their ability to carry the team or even the depth to rise against tougher competition.
Ryan Whitney argued that if the "big guys" aren't performing at their best, the team stands no chance against tough opponents, particularly in the postseason.
"I don't give a shit how good those four players are. They have zero, zero chance of winning the Stanley Cup. And you know it too, buddy, and I love you with all my heart. You're one of my best friends, but deep down you know it, and I think Leafs fans know it too," Whitney added.
"They got no chance. They got no chance whatsoever. And they can beat some bad teams, and like, those guys can have their three point nights. But, buddy, they play a legit NHL team, a Stanley Cup contender. They play Colorado. Pfft. Smell ya later, Toronto."
Toronto Maple Leafs look to reverse fortunes of past two games heading into matchup against the Edmonton Oilers
The Toronto Maple Leafs' recent results add weight to Whitney's argument. Toronto had a 3-0 lead against the Avalanche before losing 5-3, and a 4-2 defeat against the Red Wings the game before that. In both games, the Leafs surrendered the winning goal late in regulation time.
On Wednesday, the Toronto Maple Leafs will face off against the Edmonton Oilers and will get a different flavor of starting netminder as well. Martin Jones will be in between the pipes.
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