BOSTON—It wasn’t 4-1 this time, but that didn’t matter. The Toronto Maple Leafs didn’t have a trap door open beneath their feet and swallow them all at once: this time, the annihilation came step by step. Last time, the Leafs blew a 4-1 lead. This time, they did it differently: they blew three one-goal leads, one at a time.And in Game 7 against the Boston Bruins, the Leafs allowed four third-period goals and lost 7-4. This series started with the Leafs looking like they weren’t ready for the stage, and after everything, it ended the same way. They blew it. Toronto led 1-0, 2-1, and 4-3 going into the third. They had to protect a one-goal lead for 20 minutes, which serious teams can do. And five years after the last Game 7 here, they just rearranged the scaffolding before they collapsed.And that’s how the season ends. Jake Gardiner was a nightmare, Frederik Andersen wasn’t good enough, and the Bruins took control of the game. Boston scored 70 seconds into the third on a faceoff win and a low Torey Krug shot that literally went in between Morgan Rielly’s legs; they scored at the 5:25 mark when Jake DeBrusk took off, and Gardiner turned at the wrong time.And Andersen, who kept the Leafs in the game for stretches, should probably have had both goals. All season, this team relied so heavily on the big Danish goalie. He made 200 more saves than any other goaltender in hockey, and is among the streakiest netminders there is. He packed all his selves into Game 7, and the Leafs didn’t give him enough help to overcome it. David Pastrnak was left alone in front one last time for old time’s sake, with Gardiner standing in the wrong part of town, to make it 6-3. An empty netter at the end. The Leafs, player by player, broke down.It was a defining moment, though not the only one the core of this team will likely face. This team is built to grow — Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner are their two best players, Will ...
|
