Maple Leafs Were Better, But Not Good Enough…Things Need to Change – The Hockey Writers – Toronto Maple Leafs

Another year, another early exit for the Toronto Maple Leafs as their comeback in their series against the Boston Bruins fell short, losing in overtime in Game 7, 2-1.

The Maple Leafs had an opportunity to slay the dragon, exorcise their demons, whatever you want to call it after they managed to claw their way back from a 3-1 hole. In the end, it was another disappointing ending.

Many were already writing this team off a week ago, wondering if this was the end of the core as we know it. However, they managed to find a way to gut it out, put in the effort and win to get back into the series. Matthew Knies’ game winner in Game 5 and William Nylander showing up in Game 6 and scoring in the third period of Game 7, showed that they can battle back and grind it out. But after Hampus Lindholm scored to tie the game, David Pastrnak scored the game winner. They shut him down for most of the series, but he scored when the Bruins needed him to. 

While the Maple Leafs showed the effort and strong defensive play late in the series, it still wasn’t enough. It’s the same ending that many in Leafs Nation are all too familiar with. Even though they played enough to win, you can’t overlook the fact that they now have seven first round exits in the last eight years. This was a team that could win, but there were many things that still factored into their series loss. 

Lack of Offense and Lifeless Power Play

It was going to be a tight series from the very start. However, the second most productive team that had a 3.63 goals per game average in the regular season dried up once again when it mattered most. 

The Maple Leafs barely managed to convert on their chances and while they had their opportunities on Bruins’ goalie Jeremy Swayman, they had a difficult time to bury them and didn’t make life miserable for him. They did that later on in the series but it still didn’t amount to much. They went from being one of the top offensive teams in their regular season to being the least productive one in the playoffs, having a 1.71 goals per game average.