Despite the likes of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, William Nylander and Morgan Rielly, the Toronto Maple Leafs are the laughing stock of the NHL when it comes to making the playoffs. No matter who they play, they have a curse on them and have simply not been able to get past the first round since 2004. That's a long time to go 18 years without winning a round (19 if they lose again this year), especially with so much talent and a passionate fan base. This year again, despite their great season, they will face the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round and it will definitely not be easy. Goalie Ilya Samsonov seems to have forgotten about his new team's setbacks in the last few years and he made a very bold statement that could backfire. <q> We're an elite team. Probably the best in the NHL. We are a good group, we have the best doctors, the best therapists, the best coaches and most importantly, we have the best players here. - Ilya Samsonov</q> <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/markhmasters/status/1647344654008868866?t=xkFUhJ_4Dmk6QNZvYQ-7JA&s=19'> </a></blockquote></div> Far be it from me to wish them ill, quite the contrary, but with the quality of their first opponent and the pressure they have to perform in the playoffs, personally, I would have saved myself an embarrassment, being in his shoes.