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I don’t know about you, but I love a good upset.

Give me the underdog over the favourite any day of the week. It doesn’t matter what team or even what sport. There is something thrilling about watching Goliath get toppled over by a tiny nobody that everyone had previously written off.

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Which brings us to the eighth-seeded Toronto Maple Leafs and their first-round playoff series against the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Washington Capitals.

Not one of Postmedia’s 18 hockey writers predicted that the Leafs would advance past the Capitals. In fact, only four believe that the Leafs will win more than one game.

That doesn’t mean we know what we’re talking about.

Upsets — particularly first-round upsets — happen all the time in hockey. Goalies can get hot, power plays can go cold and fourth-line players can suddenly discover a scoring touch that has been dormant since they entered the league.

Photo by Jeffrey T. Barnes / FR171450 AP

Last year, two wild card teams advanced to the second round of the playoffs. In 2011-12, the eighth-seeded Kings not only upset the first-place Canucks in the first round, but also went on to win the Stanley Cup.