#Maple leafs lightning score series#

It's about restoring the good name of the franchise, and returning to its rightful place in the hierarchy.Īnd on nights like this one, it's impossible to ignore the last few inspiring, deliberate and even a touch arrogant words from the song - Ron Hawkins' 'Peace and Quiet' - that accompanies the visuals. Footage of Rielly delivering unanswered blows to the head of Jan Rutta is evidence that new clips are spliced in all the time.īut regardless of the imaging, the sentiment is the same in the video - which has been used for the last several seasons. There's a video montage that airs inside Scotiabank Arena in the lead-up to virtually every Leafs' home game, which blends highlights from the past with those of the present. None of which would produce the goal that their season hinged on. In the third period alone, the Leafs had 33 total shot attempts, 20 scoring chances, and five high-danger looks. Toronto did take a moment after the Paul goal to unpack another unfortunate moment, seeing its performance sag momentarily, but, and somewhat predictably when considering score effects, the Leafs steamed downhill on the Lightning from that moment on. 'It's a game of inches,' Matthews repeated several times his emotional post-game press conference. In a replay of Game 2, momentum swung in Tampa Bay's failure after the Leafs failed to cash in on a strong start.Īn unfortunate deflection off Rielly's outstretched stick forced goaltender Jack Campbell into pushing a rebound out into space for Paul to pounce on. What put them in the chase position was another back-breaking goal near the tail-end of the first period. Matthews and Marner led a fight to the bitter end - to the point that it was almost surprising to see the Leafs not find an equalizer. Unlike previous exits, Toronto's best players left it all out on the ice. What was most commendable was Toronto's performance inside the 60 minutes. 'There are lots of reasons to be devastated.' 'There are lots of reasons to be proud,' head coach Sheldon Keefe said. While it was clearly too soon for reflection, the Leafs do recognized that there are positives - even when they have to be immediately couched. Yet, the end result is no better than each of the previous five postseason exits.

It's exceedingly possible that they are one of the two or three very best teams in the entire league. They stood toe-to-toe with the best team in the history of the NHL's salary cap era.

The Maple Leafs set a single-season franchise record for points in a regular season, exceeding their previous total by five wins. 'It's hard to explain,' Tavares said, trying to find words to describe his outward pain. To suggest that Matthews, Marner, Rielly and captain John Tavares were broken up by the loss would be putting it beyond lightly. While history does, in many ways, weigh on the current team, the raw and visceral emotions following the game were reserved for one another, and the fans who have stuck by the group after six seasons of accumulating disappointment.

#Maple leafs lightning score series#

This while the franchise itself hasn't celebrated a series victory in 18 years, and not since the NHL's lockout in 2004-05. Its run of futility extending beyond reasonable proportions, Toronto is now 0-8 in chances to advance in the Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner era, losing in the first round, or first series, in six consecutive postseason appearances. The Lightning will move on to meet the Florida Panthers in the second round in a rematch from last season after narrowly seizing their ninth consecutive postseason series victory.īut even in pursuit of a title trio, the Leafs' latest failure in an elimination scenario remains the top storyline. The Maple Leafs once again fell short in the first round.