On Monday night, May 31st, the Maple Leafs lost the third consecutive game in a row to lose the series in seven games. The Maple Leafs haven’t advanced past the First Round since 2004 and this exit might be the worst. This wasn’t Boston, who had their number, or the five-game oddity against the Blue Jackets. This series of defeats came at the hands of the rival Montreal Canadiens, a team that they outmatched in almost every position. Moreover, this was the year to advance, they had top-line scoring, defense, depth, everything needed for a Stanley Cup run, despite many (including myself) doubting them because they have been regarded as cursed. How did this team collapse? How did the Maple Leafs, a team poised to compete for the Cup and finish with the best record, squander the series? What failed them on the ice?
Maple Leafs Top Line Couldn’t put the Puck in the Ocean
The Maple Leafs’ top line was arguably one of the best in the NHL this season. Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and Zach Hyman combined for 76 goals this season with Matthews scoring an NHL-leading 41. The Maple Leafs relied heavily on that line to carry them throughout the regular season, almost becoming dependent on it. The playoffs gave this shift a tough matchup as the Canadiens defensemen were able to enter Marner’s passing lanes and constantly guard Matthews. The shift combined for two goals in the entirety of the series with Marner failing to score. To quote a famous hockey announcer “He couldn’t put the puck in the ocean if he was standing on the pier.”
For anyone that watches hockey, especially playoff hockey, strong play from the top line is needed. It won’t lead a team to a Cup or hurt a team from winning a Cup if it fails per se. Rather, the top line takes a lot of pressure off the coaches and the rest of the roster. The top line can also put pressure on the defense to allow the backend to find scoring opportunities. This series saw a hapless top line that required the backend of the Maple Leafs to carry the team’s weight. The Maple Leafs have depth scoring but not enough to win a series, the top line needed to give them something, anything. It gave the team nothing.
Scoring Defensemen
Oftentimes, a scoring defenseman can be a liability for a team. They tend to be expensive and play poorly on the defensive end of the ice (what they actually are supposed to do based on their position). However, a scoring defenseman can be the difference between two playoff teams. A defenseman from the point that can send great pucks on the net can add an extra dimension to an offense and create goals where there otherwise wouldn’t be any. Victor Hedman was that piece for Tampa last season and we’ve seen multiple cases of scoring defensemen winning playoff games.
This series was a testament to the value of having scoring defensemen, especially when the team already has a great defensive unit. The Canadiens were able to constantly send pucks on the net from the point. Whether it was Jeff Petry, Shea Weber, or even someone on the backend, the Canadiens were able to open up their offense. The Maple Leafs, on the other hand, have a great defense but no scoring presence from the point. Throughout the series, they were exposed in this part of the game. The offense struggled in the offensive zone and needed that presence from the point. It’s unclear if the Maple Leafs will try to bring in a scoring defenseman but it is unlikely considering their cap situation and the price it takes to bring one in.
Carey Price > Jack Campbell
Throughout the series, this appeared to be the one matchup that favored the Canadiens. Carey Price is one of the greatest goaltenders to play the game and always plays better when the playoffs come around. Jack Campbell meanwhile is a good goaltender who had a great regular season but by no measurement is as good as Carey Price. The Canadiens had Price, the Maple Leafs did not. If and when this series became a goaltending duo (which it did) the edge would significantly favor Montreal. Game Seven was only the pinnacle of this disadvantage. Carey Price was a wall in the game, saving 30 of the 31 shots and the Maple Leafs couldn’t generate any offense in the game. Jack Campbell had a respectable game but a few mistakes were the costly ones that an elite goalie wouldn’t make, resulting in 2 of the 3 goals allowed in the game.
It’s unclear whether the Maple Leafs will look at this series with the mismatch and determine that goaltending stood out. The Maple Leafs needed a Carey Price for this series (and throughout their franchise history) and were exposed for not having an elite goalie. The Maple Leafs can, or at least attempt, to make a blockbuster deal for a goaltender that has a previous reputation for playoff runs. Maybe they make a move for Marc-Andre Fleury, or Semyon Varlamov somehow? It’s unlikely and probably going to be too expensive to pull off considering their salary cap situation. Moreover, this is a cursed franchise, I genuinely don’t know what they can do to erase their demons.
