Sports Talk: Same predictable results for Maple Leafs

By Greg Buchanan

Immediately after losing in overtime the Toronto Maple Leafs’ main guys clocked in for their second jobs.

“We were right there all series,” William Nylander said.

“I thought we were right there with them,” Auston Matthews said.

“There’s no doubt that we’re right there,” John Tavares said.

After winning one playoff round in six years, it should be obvious that Toronto’s core four are not primarily in the business of winning hockey championships. Their main goal is continuing on exactly as they are. They play alike, they promise alike and they lose alike. They can’t even be bothered to come up with slightly different excuses.

On the level of pure entertainment, this year’s show was better than earlier instalments. Game 7 against the Bruins in Boston on Saturday night was high drama. Until, in the last 10 seconds, it turned to vaudeville.

There are no good ways to lose a series in overtime, but allowing your opponent to float a one-hundred-foot billiards pass off the end boards to its best scorer, who has just tiptoed through the middle of your entire squad, while your goalie sits so far back in his net it looks like he is sheltering in place, must be among the worse.

As pure theatre, yes, better.

Oh you say you missed that, no worries the re run will come your way in 2025.