The art of a playoff collapse: Looking back at the Leafs’ recent first round failures


When the Toronto Maple Leafs clinched a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs — barely a surprise given the historic season they’ve had — the jokes quickly came pouring in.

Chokers. First round failures. An inevitable letdown.

It’s no secret that the Leafs appear to be cursed with first round exits. How else can one explain this storied franchise not having won a single playoff round in 18 years? For fans, it’s been a carousel of heartbreak. For management, it’s been numerous moments of long sighs and head scratching.

Are the playoff failures actually a curse? Is it a byproduct of the reworked divisions following the 2012-13 lockout season? Is the team just not capable? It depends who you ask. Either way, on paper this is one of the best teams in franchise history. They finished with a franchise-best 54 wins and 115 points. So this has to be the year they at least get past the first round, right? Right?

They’ll have to beat the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning to do so.

And the odds are in their favour. As of Saturday, the Leafs had a 67.5 per cent chance of getting past the Lightning and making the second round, according to Moneypuck.com. The only other teams with higher chances were the Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild and Calgary Flames.

Like it or not, when it comes to exorcising playoff demons, it’s important to look at the history, including all the ups and the many downs.

Here’s a trip down memory — or nightmare — lane:

Toronto Maple Leafs goalie James Reimer lays on the ice after getting beat on the game winning goal by Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron during overtime in Game 7 of their NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series in Boston, Monday, May 13, 2013. The Bruins won 5-4.

2013 | ‘But they were up 4-1. . .’ Lost to Bruins, 3-4

Possibly the most infamous of them all. Game 7 of this series is so well known across sports that there are videos of the entire third period and OT on YouTube so you can relive it by laughing or crying (or both maybe).

Ask any Leafs fan and they can tell you the exact moment where they were when Patrice Bergeron put a dagger into their heart about six minutes into overtime.

The Leafs, playing in their first playoff series since 2004, weren’t the favorites to win, and after going down 3-1 through the first four games, hopes weren’t high that they could come back.

But after impressive Game 5 and 6 wins — mostly due to strong performances from James Reimer between the pipes — the Leafs forced a Game 7, and the momentum was on their side with a stunning 4-1 lead in the third. However, it only took half a period and a raucous Bruins crowd for everything to come crashing back down to Earth.

And, as you probably know, the rest is history. It was the first time in NHL history that a team trailing by three goals in the third period of a Game 7 powered back to win.

The image of Reimer, sprawled in the crease, head down, gives you all you need to know about how every Leafs player and fan felt in that moment.

2014-16 | Return to the Dark Ages. No playoff appearances

We don’t need to talk about this. (But remember the Peter Horachek was?)

Toronto Maple Leafs center Mitch Marner (16) center Tyler Bozak (42) and defenseman Martin Marincin (52) look on as the Washington Capitals celebrate their win during the first overtime period of game six in an NHL Stanley Cup hockey first-round playoff series in Toronto on Sunday, April 23, 2017

2017 | The emergence of Matthews, Marner—and hope. Lost to Washington Capitals, 2-4

It was the first full season with Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander, and second with head coach Mike Babcock. The tide had finally turned and the Leafs were beginning to lay the foundation for what they would become in later years.

Expectations at the beginning of the season were still low, and no one would’ve been surprised if they had missed the post-season again, but after a late March and April push, the Leafs squeaked in and faced off against the President’s Trophy winners , the Washington Capitals.

And it was a lot of closer than most were expecting. Each game was decided by a single goal, and five of the six had gone to overtime, only the third time that’s happened in NHL history.

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen looks back as the puck bounces to the back of the net on a goal by Boston Bruins right wing David Pastrnak (88) during the third period of Game 7 of an NHL hockey first-round playoff series in Boston, Wednesday, April 25, 2018.

2018 | to 2013 redux? Lost to Bruins, 3-4

It almost felt like it was 2013 all over again. It was a classic back-and-forth affair, with high scoring and bad blood. The mood started sour for the Leafs, however, after key center Nazem Kadri was suspended three games for charging in Game 1 and then Toronto found themselves in an early 0-2 series hole. They came back—again—and lost—again—despite a brief lead in Game 7 in Beantown.

Nazem Kadri of the Toronto Maple Leafs reacts after a fight with Jake DeBrusk of the Boston Bruins in Game Two of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden on April 13, 2019 in Boston, Mass.

2019 | to 2018 redux? Lost to Bruins, 3-4

It almost felt like it was 2018 all over again. It was a classic back-and-forth affair, with high scoring and bad blood. The mood started sour for the Leafs, however, after key center Nazem Kadri was suspended. . . wait a minute. Deja vu?

Yes, you read—or remember—that correctly. Game 1 may have been a win for the Leafs, but Kadri was suspended in Game 2 for the rest of the series after cross-checking Jake DeBrusk in the head. It would also be the last time Kadri would wear the blue and white.

The series again went to Game 7 in Boston, but it wasn’t as tight as previous ones. The Leafs lost 5-1, and scampered away into the off-season at the hands of the big bad Bruins.

Auston Matthews reacts after his team was defeated 3-0 by the Columbus Blue Jackets after Game Five of the Eastern Conference Qualification Round at Scotiabank Arena on August 09, 2020 in Toronto.

2020 | Technically they didn’t even make it. Lost in qualifying round to Blue Jackets, 2-3

After a three month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NHL resumed in late July with bubbles in Toronto and Edmonton to play out the rest of the playoffs. Since the season was cut short, a number of teams had to play in best-of-five qualifying rounds to determine seeding.

The Leafs were spared another meeting against the Bruins and were the heavy favorites against the Blue Jackets. But playoff woes persisted, and the Leafs were fooled by goalie Joonas Korpisalo, who had two shutouts, including one in the deciding Game 5. The only bright spot in this was that fans didn’t have to witness this collapse in person.

Montreal Canadiens shake hands with the Toronto Maple Leafs after the conclusion of their 2021 first round series.

2021 | A historical matchup with history repeating. Lost to Canadians, 3-4

A new division featuring all Canadian teams was constructed specifically for the 2020-21 season, adding a new dynamic to matchups and rivalries. The Leafs won the division in the regular season, the first time they had finished atop one since 2000.

There was no possibility the Leafs would even face the dreaded Bruins in the first round, so they were matched up with the Montreal Canadiens for the first time since 1979.

Instead of climbing back and collapsing, the Leafs were on the verge of winning… and then collapsed. Toronto was up 3-1 and were in the driver’s seat for most of the series despite a heavy injury to captain John Tavares in Game 1. But Carey Price was unstoppable, and the Leafs flew off the handle to lose the final three games.

It was the third time the Habs won a series after being down 3-1, and it was the eighth consecutive loss for the Leafs in series clinching games.

2022 | We’ll soon find out.

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