Would the 2001 Toronto Maple Leafs have won the Cup that year?

[Kershaw]

Would have*

Toronto's best chance to win the Cup since expansion would have been 1993. Gilmour was unstoppable.

Yup.

That finals was supposed to be destined with the Habs and Leafs.

 

[seventieslord]

Pat Quinn did wonders by reinvigorating the franchise, but in the playoffs his teams always hit a rut when playing teams with rigid defensive structures (NJ, Philly).

and what happened with Buffalo was just ugly.

 

[PearJuice*]

First off, I hate the Leafs, but I will put all bias aside to answer the question.

I agree with the OP that 1993 was the Leafs' last best chance for a Cup. I thought LA was lucky to win that series, tbh.

They had no real chance in 2001, The Avs would have destroyed them anyway.

 

[LaTenderness*]

Ha ! No

 

[LaTenderness*]

Yup.

That finals was supposed to be destined with the Habs and Leafs.

Roy and DESJARDINS woulda steamrolled the laughs the same way they did the Kings

 

[R McD]

Ah, the Leafs squad circa 1998-2004. Never have I ever had such a love-hate relationship with a team before. To answer the question, no. I don't think any of those teams ever had what it took to win a cup, maybe, just maybe make the finals which would be the next best thing anyway, but a Cup win, doubt it. I've taken to late, to watching old leafs games from those years (or any other for that matter) on LeafsTV and the positives that those teams brought still brings a glimmer to my eye; the grit, heart, excellent power play, guys willing to get in front of the net and corners and take a beating to make a play (something the current squad lacks badly now). Having a legit #1 center, excellent goal tending and some solid PP quarterbacking defensemen. However, leaf nation, while its frustrating watch our current team's inability to clear the puck, its a million more times more frustrating when its in the playoffs. Those teams were TERRIBLE defensively. With the notely exception of Yuskevitch, we sucked! Sure it was exciting hockey to watch Cujo and Belfour play out of their minds, but give me a break. It seemed a given we would have 1 or 2 periods in a game where we would be trapped in our own zone, out shot 2 to 1.

I think that alone was a constant major nagging problem that was never addressed that always came back to bite us in the ass in the playoffs. Its along that line of thought that I believe the 92-93 squad was still our best chance of glory, a far more balanced team.

 

[octopi]

If anything the year the Leafs lost to the Hurricanes was the year.

In 2002? when the stacked Wings team won? I don't think the Leafs would have stopped them.

 

[darkhorse686]

2001, I'd say no. They bumbled into the playoffs and had they played anyone other than Ottawa in the opening round I think they would have been gone early

2002 was the best chance that the Pat Quinn-Leafs had to reach the final. They really should have beaten Carolina who I think were a weaker side. I doubt they'd have actually won it the Cup, though.

 

[rojac]

2001, I'd say no. They bumbled into the playoffs and had they played anyone other than Ottawa in the opening round I think they would have been gone early

2002 was the best chance that the Pat Quinn-Leafs had to reach the final. They really should have beaten Carolina who I think were a weaker side. I doubt they'd have actually won it the Cup, though.

Of course, Quinn's heart problems during the Carolina series didn't help. Remember that Rick Ley was behind the bench for some games in that series.

 

[EpochLink]

Hmmm..going back on it.

1993 - that was their best chance to go all the way...its just they couldn't stop Gretzky in game seven

1994 - they ran into a hot Vancouver team and never really got it going, even though they won game one in over time...it was all Vancouver after that

1995 - Chicago, don't remember that series to be honest.

1996 - St.Louis, didn't get much better.

1999 - that ECF against Buffalo was just horrible, Leafs couldn't solve Hasek and Buffalo's defensive game plan gave them fits.

2000 - New Jersey, they could've beaten them if they again..knew how to figure out Jersey defensive game plan.

2001 - New Jersey, wasn't it in that series where the mustered only 6 shots on goal in the final game of that series? yeah that was disaster

2002 - Carolina, they ran into a hot team and just ran out of gas.

2003 - Philly, that game seven was just embarrassing if your a Leafs fan..getting blown out like that was just terrible.

2004 - Philly, game five was over in the first period..Bryan McCabe was just a train wreck.

 

[seventieslord]

Hmmm..going back on it.

1993 - that was their best chance to go all the way...its just they couldn't stop Gretzky in game seven

1994 - they ran into a hot Vancouver team and never really got it going, even though they won game one in over time...it was all Vancouver after that

1995 - Chicago, don't remember that series to be honest.

1996 - St.Louis, didn't get much better.

1999 - that ECF against Buffalo was just horrible, Leafs couldn't solve Hasek and Buffalo's defensive game plan gave them fits.

2000 - New Jersey, they could've beaten them if they again..knew how to figure out Jersey defensive game plan.

2001 - New Jersey, wasn't it in that series where the mustered only 6 shots on goal in the final game of that series? yeah that was disaster

2002 - Carolina, they ran into a hot team and just ran out of gas.

2003 - Philly, that game seven was just embarrassing if your a Leafs fan..getting blown out like that was just terrible.

2004 - Philly, game five was over in the first period..Bryan McCabe was just a train wreck.

1995/1996: Chicago and St. Louis were clearly better.

2000 you had right, but in 2001 the Leafs were right there with the Devils all the way, and had the series in their grasp until the Domi incident. The series went 7, and although they got blown out in game 7, they scored first and took a lot more than 6 shots. (it was 2000 you were thinking of)

2002 was injuries. That they made it as far as they did was a miracle.

2003, Philly was clearly better, the Leafs were lucky to get to 7.

2004 I thought the Leafs were right there with Philly, we had the momentum and had the Flyers right where we wanted them, then POP, Roenick burst the bubble. if the Leafs take that game, they had even odds in game 7, as those teams were evenly matched.

 

[Johnny Engine]

1995/1996: Chicago and St. Louis were clearly better.

2000 you had right, but in 2001 the Leafs were right there with the Devils all the way, and had the series in their grasp until the Domi incident. The series went 7, and although they got blown out in game 7, they scored first and took a lot more than 6 shots. (it was 2000 you were thinking of)

2002 was injuries. That they made it as far as they did was a miracle.

2003, Philly was clearly better, the Leafs were lucky to get to 7.

2004 I thought the Leafs were right there with Philly, we had the momentum and had the Flyers right where we wanted them, then POP, Roenick burst the bubble. if the Leafs take that game, they had even odds in game 7, as those teams were evenly matched.

The Leafs won the game that happened in, and the game after that. The whole "Domi cost them the series" smacks of media narrative building.

 

[cynicism]

The Leafs won the game that happened in, and the game after that. The whole "Domi cost them the series" smacks of media narrative building.

Don't forget the Domi thing gave NJ a reason to want to win. Because, you know, being behind in a series isn't motivation enough

 

[seventieslord]

You guys are right. This is not the first time that I forgot that the incident was in game 4, not game 5.

Point still stands that between 2000 and 2001 the Leafs had made the appropriate changes to better counter New Jersey's system (because 2000 was an embarrassment) and they were every bit as good as them in that series. It could have gone either way. To put it in a real "Leaf Homer" kind of way, we were two OT goals away from sweeping them.

 

[Johnny Engine]

That's just one of those things that has been repeated so many times in the media and in general conversations that everyone just started to believe it.

Sort of like how everyone knows that letting in a 175 foot shot ruined Vesa Toskala, even though he won that game 3-1, and continued being a decent-to-ok goalie for another half season or so, until a very obvious but unreported groin injury derailed his play.

Narrative-building in the media is a source of a lot of misconceptions, especially with big-market teams.

 

[seventieslord]

That's just one of those things that has been repeated so many times in the media and in general conversations that everyone just started to believe it. .

Heh. Maybe so, but I recall clearly that my dad, drunk as he was, said "just watch. new Jersey is going to win this series now. That fired them up. Stevens has the eye of the tiger"... and young optimistic me disagreed openly, but secretly was quite worried. Of course when they lost that just fulfilled the prophecy. What you're saying could be 100% true, but for my family at least, this narrative was generated internally.

 

[Johnny Engine]

My dad said the exact same thing, though it sounds like they couldn't be more different people.

I don't mean to say exactly that it was Steve Simmons or Damien Cox pulling stories out of their *****, but more so that it was something everyone expected to happen, and when it only sort of happened, anyone writing about it proceeded to whitewash the whole thing into a linear narrative.

 

[Forsberg2Sakic]

I don't think they would have. The Avs would probably win in 5-6 games. The 2001 Colorado Avalanche were on ruthless all year. They were much deeper than the Leafs at every posistion. Sakic was incredible, Roy had a few shaky games but he was incredible all playoffs, especially game 6 against New Jersey. I really thought the 2004 Leafs had a great shot at the cup.

 

[LeafsNation75]

2000 you had right, but in 2001 the Leafs were right there with the Devils all the way, and had the series in their grasp until the Domi incident. The series went 7, and although they got blown out in game 7, they scored first and took a lot more than 6 shots. (it was 2000 you were thinking of)

The Domi incident happened in Game 4 which the Leafs won and then they won Game 5 taking a 3-2 series lead. So I don't think it's fair to say that was turning point because the Leafs were in position to win that series after it happened.

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

I never felt at that time (late 90s-early 00s) that the Leafs were a legit contender, I think honestly that this is just the sort of narrative to expect when the Leafs have a decent team, not a great one but a decent one. The market amplifies everything.

Could they have won the Cup with a few (dozen) more breaks going their way? Sure, but there's quite a few teams who could say that same. Obviously we saw a pretty unfancied Ducks team take the Cup Finals to seven games in 2003, we saw a good but not great Flames team take it to seven in 2004. Those teams ended up coming short and so did a few others at earlier stages.

1993 strikes me as the only real chance where I can say, yeah, there's a legit chance here Toronto wins that series and in a Final vs. Montreal anything could happen.

 

[TTOMO]

I really believed we were going to have that Leafs/Habs Final in '93. I was hoping for that as the playoffs got deeper.

 

[Noisespektrum]

In none of the Leafs runs in the last 20 years were they ever better than they showed. Each time they went as far as their talent could take them.

 

[cynicism]

I really believed we were going to have that Leafs/Habs Final in '93. I was hoping for that as the playoffs got deeper.

Same here. Wayne Gretzky reduced me to tears

That would've been an epic final but the Habs still would've won, probably in 5-6 games. Roy was unbeatable and the Leafs would've been exhausted (3 7 game series)

 

[Hackeybuff*]

During the 2001 Playoffs the Maple Leafs were up 3-2 in the Eastern Conference Semi Finals against the New Jersey Devils and had a chance to win that series in Toronto in Game 6, however we all know they lost that game and ended up lossing Game 7 back in New Jersey. Had they won that series could they have beat the Penguins in the Eastern Conference Finals despite getting Marrio Lemieux back earlier that season and how would they have done against the Avalanche in the Stanley Cup Finals?

The Devils were the defending cup champs and even if they finished them off somehow, they still had to deal with the conference finals and then the Avalanche.

They would have never beat Colorado. 4 or 5 games max