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Top Comments: Happy Leafs Elimination Day Edition [1]

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Date: 2025-05-20

Throughout the NHL, I don’t think there is a team more hated by fans not that team than the Toronto Maple Leafs. Their fans are obnoxious and preening; the NHL media constantly fawns over them no matter how often they fail; and people believe they get favorable treatment from both the refs and replay room. (Those last two are debatable but people feel that way). For the last decade though, the Toronto and NHL media has spent every pre-season declaring them to be “this year’s Cup champion” as they drafted and signed the players that would become known as the Core Four. Some people say that’s Austin Matthews, William Nylander, Mitch Marner and John Tavares (Pajama Boy or PJB for the rest of the diary). Others sub out Nylander for defenseman, Morgan Reilly, but most people stick with the four forwards as the “Core Four.”

The beginning of my hatred of the Leafs goes back to the 2002 playoffs when we lost to them in the first round. The reffing that series was so one-sided, our GM held a press conference to play tape of games showing how one-sided the reffing was. Over the next decade or so, my hatred subsided somewhat as the Leafs faded in terms of their chance to win the Stanley Cup. To be fair, still rooted against them, I just didn’t have that visceral hatred I had during the early 2000s. When they finally made it back into the playoffs consistently 10 years ago, it was hilarious watching them fail in the spectacular ways ever.

We will begin prior to the last 10 years to the 2013 playoffs when the Leafs finally made it after a multi year drought. This was the first of a record 7 straight game 7 losses for the Leafs. Leading 4-1 in third period, the Leafs gave up three straight goals including two in the lat 90 seconds allowing the Boston Bruins to tie the game. The Leafs would go on to lose in overtime.

They wouldn’t make the playoffs again until 2017, the unofficial start of the Core Four era losing 6 this time to the Washington Capitals. In 2018 and 2019, they would again lose in 7 games both times to the Boston Bruins. Neither game 7 was particularly close for them getting beaten by 3 and 4 goals respectively. (I think they are having some kind of issue with Brad Marchand.) 2018 was also the year they picked up PJB from my team, the New York Islanders, supposedly cementing their ability to win multiple Cups. There was even a cover of the The Hockey News claiming they would be the Cup winners in October. That was also the year my visceral hatred for them came back with a passion. With the Islanders supposedly being left for dead by the media and the Leafs being anointed as Cup champions before even one game of the regular season was played, it is unsurprising why so many Islanders fans actually put their hatred for Leafs above the Rangers that season. In a brilliant stroke of karma, the lost in round one while the Islanders swept the Penguins to make the second round for only the second time since 1993.

2020 went even worse for the Leafs. Due to Covid interrupting the season, the NHL opted to have the playoffs set in two cities with the players essentially being a bubble. The Eastern Conference teams would play in Toronto, and the Western Conference teams would play in Edmonton. Because at the stoppage of play in March teams had played different amounts of games, the League opted to create a qualifying round so teams who were in playoff position in terms of either number of actual points or points percentage would be given a chance to compete. That meant instead of the normal 16 teams, 22 teams essentially “made the playoffs” as the League counts the qualifying round as a playoff round. Despite being the only Eastern Conference team playing in the home building, the Leafs lost in 5 games (the round was best of 5) to Columbus. The Islanders, OTOH, won three rounds and made it to the conference finals. The Islanders now had more playoff series wins in Toronto than the Leafs did since 2004. Depending on if you count the qualifying round or not, the Islanders either still have the same number of playoff series wins or more in Toronto than the Leafs do as of today.

Anyway, in 2021, the Leafs blew a 3-1 series lead to their hated rivals, the Montreal Canadiens, who were probably the worst team to make the playoffs that season. It was an epic collapse for them. They lost games 5 & 6 in overtime and then gave lifeless performance in game 7. The next season didn’t go much better as they blew a 3-2 series lead to once again lose in 7 to the defending Cup champs, Lightning.

2022 saw them finally break through and win a round. Unfortunately, round 2 didn’t go much better as they were easily disposed of by the Florida Panthers in 5 games. 2024 saw them playing Boston and their old friend Brad Marchand in the first round. They once again lost game 7 in overtime.

Finally we come to this season. With a change in coaching and a new starting goalie, the entire NHL media was once again declaring a Stanley Cup parade in Toronto. They drew the Ottawa Senators in the first round and after taking a 3-0 series lead, everyone was saying this was The Year! Games 4 & 5 didn’t go so well as they lost both game 5 in a shutout. They rallied back for game 6 and made once again into the 2nd round. Unfortunately, they drew Brad Marchand once again as he was traded during the season from Boston to Florida. The Leafs jumped to an early 2 games to none lead before dropping games 3 and 4 in Florida. They came home for game 5 and gave one of the most lifeless performances a team could give. If not for a last minute heroic goal, they would have been shutout two games in row. They stormed back to win game 6 in Florida setting up a pivotal game 7 at home in Toronto. One would think they would take the boost of game 6 back home, but you’d be wrong. They turned in an even worse performance in game 7 which saw multiple sweaters among other paraphernalia being thrown on the ice as boos rained down on them through the last two periods. To add insult to injury, Brad Marchand scored the final goal of the series.

Now what will the Leafs do? Will they run it back again like the have for the last 7 seasons or will they like players like Mitch Marner and PJB go and try to find a new path? I have no idea, but as long as they keep losing, I’ll keep smiling.

I’ll end with this, as the contract that brought PJB away from Long Island to Toronto ends, the Isles once again have the number 1 pick in the draft. Will they go with the 6’2” defenseman and consenus top player in the draft like I want, or will they go with the kid from Happauge on Long Island, previously ranked number 1 overall, to try and reverse the pain of the last 7 years? We will find out next month.

Happy celebrating everyone!

Diarist reserves all rights to his original writing only. Community material is not covered by this ©

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Top Comments for may 20, 2025

People must still be celebrating Leafs Elimination Day as we got no noms.

TOP MOJO may 19, 2025

First comments and tip jars excluded. Thank you mik for the mojo magic! For those of you interested in How Top Mojo Works, please see his diary on FAQing Top Mojo.

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