from Luke Fox of Sportsnet,
The talk of thin margins and tight groups, of hard efforts and bitter pills, coming through hushed voices from gutted hockey players, following a 2-1 Game 7 overtime loss to the Boston Bruins on Saturday.
The latest in a long list of series in which this group was just good enough to lose.
"It sucks, to be honest. We were really close, and we battled back into the series, and I don't know what to say. It's just an empty feeling right now," said William Nylander, the only member of The Core to score in any of Toronto's three elimination games this week.
"Look, I don't think there's an issue with the core. I think we were (expletive) right there all series. Battled hard and got it to Game 7 in OT. That's a (expletive) feeling."
John Tavares tried explaining what gives him the belief that this same group of stars should get another crack at this thing come October.
"We're right there," the captain said. "I mean, it's very small difference. And just the type of hockey that we played, the way we needed to play to give ourselves a chance to win the series, and the way we came together, the way that we stuck with it.... There's no doubt that we're right there."
from Mike Zeisberger of NHL.com,
Talking like he's long gone even before the exit interviews.
from Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun,
They made a series of it, but defeat tastes just as bitter.
And there will still be an appetite for change around Scotiabank Arena next year.
Not just because a $350 million renovation to the rink is coming, but a look at shuffling behind the bench, if not higher in the executive suite and part and parcel with the usual with some nameplates in dressing room.
For now, everyone is still numb from an eighth straight early exit from NHL post-season play. Saturdays 2-1 overtime loss in Game 7 in Boston means other than defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning last year, the Maple Leafs have not survived the first round since 2013. Four of those defeats wre engineered by bitter rival Boston.
Club president Brendan Shanahan hoped a cadre of first round picks led by Auston Matthews the Core Four would pave the way for playoff prowess, yet the project is now on its third general manager, perhaps about to cash out its third coach in Sheldon Keefe.
Now its up to new Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment CEO Keith Pelley when he makes his first summer assessments.
Its not unrealistic the Leafs couldve and shouldve won at least one Stanley Cup during the Shanaplan instead of watching old rivals and new teams keep raising it. Their record NHL drought is now extended another season to 58.
First-year general manager Brad Treliving inherited a lot of the Cores cap crunching contracts from Kyle Dubas Mitch Marner is now up to bat and made improvements where he could. He would also be subject to new bosses.
While no Leafs coach ever put together three straight 100-point teams and no NHL coach among the top 80 in wins has a better regular season percentage than Keefes .607, it has just failed to translate at playoffs. Long-term problems such as poor game starts, late goals against and special teams woes manifested themselves, even at the start of these playoffs before injuries forced Keefe to have them buy into a defensive game plan and better finish.
continued
Here is my reaction:
John Tavares tried explaining what gives him the belief that this same
group of stars should get another crack at this thing come October.
'Insanity is
doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different
results. ' According to a large number of inspirational mugs and
posters, this famous quote comes from none other than Albert Einstein
Normally the Leafs will announce who from management will attend, this year nothing.
It's pretty funny to hear the Leafs talk about how close they were. It was only round 1. Even if they had won, they were a long way from successful. I don't think their play against Boston would have got them past Florida, New York or Carolina.
They didn't do enough to dictate play. They played right into Boston's hands. They played more physical but in the end Boston got the better of it.
Finally, they need to ask themselves why they weren't better in the regular season so that they could have played game 7 at home.
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