The Toronto Maple Leafs finished the 1941-42 regular season in second place. They defeated the New York Rangers in the first round of the playoffs, propelling them into the Stanley Cup Final against the Detroit Red Wings. Although the Leafs had finished 15 points higher than the Wings during the regular season, Detroit was no pushover. “Detroit will come out roaring,” predicted Leafs managing director Conn Smythe. “Unless we can out-thump them, we’ll be behind the eight-ball.”
