The Toronto Maple Leafs were eliminated by the Boston Bruins in the first round for the seventh time in eight years, despite overcoming a 3-1 series deficit and having a white-hot goalie, due to a combination of injuries, a poor power play performance, and a lack of offensive production, prompting potential major changes in the offseason.
Oh, the Toronto Maple Leafs. They’ve gone and done it again. Found a brand-new way to leave their fans heartbroken after a Game 7. This time, it was David Pastrnak, just two minutes into overtime on Saturday night, who dashed their hopes. Thanks to him, the Boston Bruins kicked the Maple Leafs out in the first round. And now? Toronto’s bracing for what might be a wild offseason.
It’s been a rough ride. This marks the seventh first-round exit in eight years for the Leafs’ core team. At some point, you’ve gotta say enough’s enough, right? Maybe it’s time to shake things up. Whether that means a new coach or some major roster changes, something’s gotta give. Because doing the same old thing and expecting a different outcome? That’s just not working.
But let’s talk about this loss for a sec. Honestly, this wasn’t the strongest Maple Leafs team we’ve seen in the past eight years. They were up against a Boston team that had outplayed them all season. So, losing wasn’t a huge shock. Yet, Toronto had this vibe, like maybe, just maybe, they could pull it off. They’d rallied from a 3-1 series deficit, winning Games 5 and 6 without Auston Matthews, their star player. And then, with Matthews back for Game 7 and goalie Joseph Woll on fire, it felt like they had a shot.
The pressure was all on Boston, a team teetering on the edge of a humiliating record. No major North American sports franchise has ever blown a 3-1 series lead two seasons in a row. The Bruins were desperate to avoid that fate. And for a moment, it looked like Toronto might just push them over the edge.
But fate can be cruel. On Saturday, the Leafs found out goalie Joseph Woll was out with an injury from Game 6. That meant Ilya Samsonov was back in the game. And when Toronto scored first—a good omen in Game 7 history—you could almost hear the collective hope. Yet, they still lost. It’s tough to blame Samsonov alone, but his earlier performance didn’t help. Neither did Toronto’s struggling power play, which was a disaster the whole series.
The offense just couldn’t find its rhythm, managing to score more than two goals only once in the series. Looking back at last year’s playoffs, this pattern of underperformance is clear. The Maple Leafs, despite being one of the highest-scoring teams in the regular season, just couldn’t deliver when it mattered most. And that, more than anything, screams for change. It’s time for something new. Because what they’ve been doing? It’s just not cutting it.
