SAME OLD, SAME OLD: Maple Leafs out in first round again after Game 7 loss to Habs
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Author of the article:
Lance Hornby
Publishing date:
May 31, 2021 • 4 hours ago • 4 minute read • 136 Comments 
Montreal Canadiens forward Corey Perry celebrates after scoring against the Maple Leafs in Game 7 of their first-round series at Scotiabank Arena on Monday, May 31, 2021. Photo by DAN HAMILTON /USA TODAY SPORTS Article content
They’ll be remembered, not in a good way, as possibly the best Maple Leafs team never to win a playoff series.
Despite changing the blueprint to end a streak of first-round failures, Toronto is once again an early casualty. For the fifth time in the lifespan of the core — Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and Morgan Rielly — they were on the wrong side of the handshake line when they couldn’t seal the deal.
The Montreal Canadiens go on to meet the Winnipeg Jets, who’ve waited an extra week as the Leafs agonizingly blew a 3-1 series lead, culminating Monday at Scotiabank Arena in a 3-1 loss to the fourth-seeded Habs.
“It’s really hard to put into words, we’re obviously devastated,” said coach Sheldon Keefe, who was saving any post-game speech to the players for exit meetings later this week. “We thought we were capable of a lot more.”
Canadiens’ Jake Evans skates the puck ahead of Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews during Game 7. CLAUS ANDERSEN/GETTY IMAGESCut and paste this defeat on to the Leafs’ long list of getting pooched in playoffs, four of the five eliminiations in a Game 7, this one the first suffered at home. It’s also 17 years since Toronto has won a series and, while Keefe rightly tried to distance this team from any of its Cup-less predecessors, the Leafs have now matched the New York Rangers for the longest Cup drought at 54 years (1940-94) and are headed for the dubious record.
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Rather than try and lift the curse of post-1967, these Leafs joined the ’87 team among 30 in NHL history to fall when up 3-1 in a best-of-seven. Carey Price and a hard-hitting Montreal game plan wouldn’t relent in the first meeting of the NHL’s oldest rivals in 42 years. The Leafs never led in a game after taking their early series jump.
This season’s approach was the boldest for third-year general manager Kyle Dubas, beefing up in goal, defence, size and snarl. NHL veterans from the GTA and Southern Ontario — Wayne Simmonds, Joe Thornton, TJ Brodie and Jason Spezza — were meant to add a Cup hunger that would spread to the young stars. But Matthews, Marner and the scorers had little room, especially Monday.
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Rielly realized fans would be see the trend of playoff flops and link this year’s to a common denominator.
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“I totally understand how you’d connect those, but honestly, I don’t think they’re a factor. This is a different group, different year, different playoff format. There wasn’t anything in the past that played into this series. There were too many variables.
“As a group, we were prepared going into the games, it has nothing to do with that. But there has to be answers and over the coming days as players and coaches live with it, we’ll discuss what those answers are.”
While Toronto finished first in the North, Matthews topped the NHL with 41 goals and Marner again led in team scoring, the loss of captain John Tavares in Game 1 and key defender Jake Muzzin in Game 6 ultimately proved costly.
That, and a loaded power play that inexplicably fired blanks from the end of the regular season through early chances in the series and ended 3-for-23. Montreal’s wasn’t much better in that area, but Corey Perry scored a big one late in Monday’s second period after Jack Campbell allowed a weak one at even strength by Brendan Gallagher.
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While harsh criticism won’t fall on playoff goaltending this time, Campbell felt he’d let the side down after being solid through the opening stage of his first NHL series.
“I just think of how hard our team battled,” Campbell said. “And for it to end on the worst goal of my career, happening in a Game 7. The team counts on me to be better. Should have been a save, no excuse, unacceptable.”
Matthews and Marner, other than one productive night in Game 2, were neutralized with a combined nine points in the series, with winger Zach Hyman having the best looks Monday. Only Nylander, who added his fifth goal of the series in the dying seconds, solved Price, who allowed six goals in the past three games.
Leafs Nation, health workers react to fans in stands for Game 7 
The Maple Leafs’ Shanaplan will be on trial in Game 7 
SIMMONS: One night for Maple Leafs’ Matthews, Marner to salvage their reputations At least the Leafs played before a live crowd for the first time in 14 months, with 550 fully vaccinated Ontario health care workers given permission in agreement with the provincial government, local health officials and Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment Ltd.
But Price, cool as ever, kept the Leafs to six goals the final three games and sent them home unhappy.
lhornby@postmedia.com
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