This playoff heartbreak felt different for the Maple Leafs.
A team that had so often stumbled in big moments went toe-to-toe with the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions.
In the end, however, the result was the same B次元官网网址� and perhaps even more crushing because of what might have been.
Nick Paul scored twice, including an incredible individual effort on the winner late in the second period, as the Tampa Bay Lightning topped Toronto 2-1 in Game 7 on Saturday to win the teamB次元官网网址檚 first-round playoff series 4-3.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 hard to explain,B次元官网网址� Leafs captain John Tavares said in the wake of another devastating post-season setback for a franchise that hasnB次元官网网址檛 reached the second round since 2004. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 frustrating, hard to fathom.
B次元官网网址淚t stings, it hurts, itB次元官网网址檚 disappointing.B次元官网网址�
Andrei Vasilevskiy made 30 saves for a team not yet ready to relinquish its crown despite losing star winger Brayden Point to an apparent leg injury late in the first period.
B次元官网网址淎 game of inches,B次元官网网址� said Leafs star Auston Matthews, who scored 60 goals during the regular season and four more in playoffs. B次元官网网址淯nfortunately weB次元官网网址檙e on the bad side of things tonight. ItB次元官网网址檚 really frustrating.
B次元官网网址淓very guy in there competed and gave it their all. They made one more play than us.B次元官网网址�
Toronto had Tampa Bay, which will now meet the PresidentsB次元官网网址� Trophy-winning Florida Panthers in the next round, on the ropes in ThursdayB次元官网网址檚 Game 6 before the Lightning, as they so often have during their consecutive title runs, found a way to punch back.
B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檝e been through a lot of tough losses, heartbreak,B次元官网网址� Matthews added. B次元官网网址淎nd theyB次元官网网址檝e climbed the way to the top two years in a row.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e right there B次元官网网址� weB次元官网网址檙e right there.B次元官网网址�
Morgan Rielly replied for Toronto, which hasnB次元官网网址檛 moved onto the second round in 18 years and is 0-9 in games where it can eliminate an opponent over the last five post-seasons. Jack Campbell stopped 23 shots.
Despite their best efforts, the Leafs were once again unable to push through and finally flip an long, ugly narrative of playoff failures for a franchise that has now lost its last seven series, including six straight dating back to 2017.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e getting sick and tired feeling like this,B次元官网网址� Toronto winger Mitch Marner said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 gonna sting for a while.B次元官网网址�
Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe was behind the bench for the 2020 post-season loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the bubble and a seven-game collapse against the Montreal Canadiens last spring after building a 3-1 lead B次元官网网址� a pair of series where the groupB次元官网网址檚 character was called into question by fans and media alike.
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ThereB次元官网网址檚 unlikely to be any such qualms in 2022.
B次元官网网址淭his one hurts more because this was a really good team that really played hard,B次元官网网址� Keefe said. B次元官网网址淵ou can debate the merits of any sort of credit that you might want to give our team. But I donB次元官网网址檛 know if you can debate anything that you give the Tampa Bay Lightning, and who they are and what they stand for and what theyB次元官网网址檝e accomplished.
B次元官网网址淎nd weB次元官网网址檙e right there standing with them.B次元官网网址�
Lightning captain Steven Stamkos said the series was one of the toughest his club has faced over the last three playoffs.
B次元官网网址淎 great hockey team,B次元官网网址� he said of the Leafs. B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檝e got all the pieces. ItB次元官网网址檚 not easy this time of the year.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e had some failures in the past B次元官网网址� you just move on and you just gotta get over that hump.B次元官网网址�
Down 1-0 after 20 minutes Saturday, the Leafs appeared to tie the game at 11:28 of the second when Tavares roofed a shot on Vasilevskiy, but the goal was disallowed after Toronto defenceman Justin Holl was whistled for interference.
Campbell had to make a couple of desperation stops on the ensuing penalty kill to set the stage for RiellyB次元官网网址檚 equalizer off setup from Marner and Matthews to score his third of the playoffs at 6:35 to send the crowd of 19,316 into a chaotic frenzy.
The goal was the first surrendered by Vasilevskiy and the Lightning in their last six series-deciding games.
William Nylander then missed high on a breakaway before the Tampa goaltender robbed Matthews with the Leafs buzzing.
Paul scored his second of the night B次元官网网址� and second ever in the playoffs B次元官网网址� moments later with 3:28 remaining in the period on a terrific play where he kicked the puck from his skate to his stick.
B次元官网网址淭he electricity in this building was nuts,B次元官网网址� said the native of Mississauga, Ont. B次元官网网址淭o come in and work as hard as we did, there was no doubt in our game. We stuck together.B次元官网网址�
Vasilevskiy was under siege throughout a LeafsB次元官网网址� power play just over six minutes into the third, but kept the home side at bay despite some furious pressure.
Toronto continued to press inside an anxious, tension-filled rink as the clock ticked down.
The Leafs, however, just couldnB次元官网网址檛 find a way through with Campbell on the bench for an extra attacker.
B次元官网网址淟ots of reasons to be proud,B次元官网网址� Keefe said. B次元官网网址淵et lots of reasons to be devastated and upset.B次元官网网址�
Toronto will rue the latter stages of Game 6 when Tampa didnB次元官网网址檛 have much going on down 3-2 in the third period until connecting on a long 5-on-3 man advantage following consecutive high-sticking penalties.
The Leafs then had plenty of chances to win the series in OT, but couldnB次元官网网址檛 capitalize before Point forced Game 7.
B次元官网网址淲e had opportunities to finish them in Game 6 and failed to do so,B次元官网网址� Keefe said. B次元官网网址淭his oneB次元官网网址檚 tough because I really feel like weB次元官网网址檙e a lot closer than it appears.B次元官网网址�
Tavares nearly opened the scoring early Saturday on a great chance in close where Vasilevskiy shot out his left pad before the 2019 Vezina Trophy winner denied Marner.
Campbell then held the fort on a Lightning power play on a couple of great looks.
Point, who scored the winner in TampaB次元官网网址檚 Game 6 victory to extend the series, was injured late in the first when his right leg got caught underneath him as he fell to the ice. He tried to return after the intermission, but shut it down after a brief shift.
B次元官网网址淲hen Pointer got hurt it seemed to lock the entire team in,B次元官网网址� Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said. B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 think we looked back.B次元官网网址�
Tampa went up 1-0 moments after Point was injured when Paul, who had a number of chances in Game 5 with his team ahead before Toronto roared back, scored his first.
Campbell made the initial stop on Ross ColtonB次元官网网址檚 one-timer off the rush that nicked RiellyB次元官网网址檚 stick, but the rebound fell to Paul at 1:36 as Toronto surrendered the first goal for a fourth straight game.
The Lightning were playing in just their second Game 7 since the start of the 2020 playoffs after defeating the New York Islanders 1-0 in the semifinals last June.
TorontoB次元官网网址檚 last Game 7 at home with fans B次元官网网址� the clubB次元官网网址檚 2021 loss against Montreal was played in front of 550 health-care workers because of COVID-19 restrictions B次元官网网址� was all the way back in 2004 when Joe Nieuwendyk scored twice to oust the Ottawa Senators for the teamB次元官网网址檚 last series win.
The Leafs didnB次元官网网址檛 make the playoffs again until 2013 when they collapsed in Game 7 against the Boston Bruins. TorontoB次元官网网址檚 new generation of stars made the post-season for the first time in 2017, but has since suffered a string of heartbreak that continued Saturday.
B次元官网网址淏ecause the feeling is the same, the outcome is the same, whether or not thereB次元官网网址檚 differences or more positives or whatever, itB次元官网网址檚 going to take some time to figure that out,B次元官网网址� Rielly said of if this sixth straight series loss.
B次元官网网址淯ltimately, the outcome is the same, which is very disappointing.B次元官网网址�
Keefe said the tone of the handshake line, however, was different from past playoff setbacks.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e certainly earning respect in the league,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淏ut weB次元官网网址檙e not in the respect game. WeB次元官网网址檙e in the winning game. WeB次元官网网址檝e got to find a way.B次元官网网址�
That quest starts anew in the fall.
Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press
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