"Similar to the Laval series, the Marlies will be looking for at least a split before the series returns home. Cleveland has proven to be excellent front-runners, and Toronto can ill-afford to spot them a decisive series lead."
Toronto reached the North Division Final after beating Rochester 2-1 in the play-in round and then upsetting Laval in five games. Cleveland now stands between Toronto and the Conference Final. Cleveland and Toronto fought for the third spot in the regular season, with Cleveland winning the season series, though Toronto performed relatively well in head-to-head games. Toronto had struggled against Cleveland over the previous five seasons, but managed a solid home record in 2025-26 and won the last two regular-season meetings in March. In postseason history, Toronto won once in 2019, while Cleveland swept Toronto 2-0 in last year’s play-in. Both teams have shown playoff success on the road, and Toronto will aim to secure at least a split before returning home.
Read at Maple Leafs Hotstove
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