Remember the good old days when the Leafs would frequently meet the Ottawa Senators in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and Toronto was always the victor? I remember this happening four times between 2000 and 2004. We had their number.
Boston has our number. The Leafs have now faced the Bruins four times since 2013 and the Bruins have won every time. Last night the Leafs forced OT in game 7 and once again found a way to lose. Now we know how Sens fans felt.
That 2004 series against the Senators was the last time the Leafs won a round until we beat Tampa in the first round last season. With another first round exit this season, that single victory against the Lightning is all we have to celebrate from the Auston Matthew era. Something's got to change, but what?
For several years now, I've far preferred Nylander's playoff game to Marner's, and would love to see him movied for a Norris-candidate quality defenseman, but I realize he has an NTC. You can't trade JT, you shouldn't trade AM, nor WN or MR, so there isn't a lot of cap-clearing options here. The coach should probably go, and perhaps the president, but that's up to the new man in charge, Keith Pelley. Regardless, this offseason should be very interesting.
Had one shot gone differently last night, this article would read very differently and we'd be riding high in Leafsland. But such is sport...
