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The comeback clock struck middle of the night for the Maple Leafs on Saturday.
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Later trailing 3-1 within the best-of-seven sequence in opposition to the Boston Bruins, the Leafs couldn’t totally get better.
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Extra ache by the hands of the Bruins got here in Sport 7 when David Pastrnak scored at 1:54 of extra time at TD Farmland, getting rid of Toronto from the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Upon scooting generation Mitch Marner within the impartial zone, Pastrnak took the puck off the top forums upcoming Hampus Lindholm dumped it into the Leafs’ finish, were given tardy Morgan Rielly and worn a backhand deke to attain on Ilya Samsonov to present the Bruins a 2-1 victory.
“Very disappointed to not come out on the right side of it,” professor Sheldon Keefe informed media in Boston. “Loved how our team fought to put us in this position to compete and play in this game and have a chance to be one shot away.
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“When you reflect on the series, you don’t love the hole we dug ourselves. That’s a big reason why we’re here. It’s a tough one to lose, a tough way to go.”
The loss prolonged a thread of Sport 7 losses to 6 in a row for the group. Toronto has now not received a Sport 7 since April 20, 2004, in opposition to the Ottawa Senators within the first around.
The Leafs have been the sixty fifth group in Nationwide Hockey League historical past to drive a Sport 7 upcoming being ill 3-1 in a sequence. The Bruins changed into the thirty third group to win Sport 7 upcoming permitting the opposition to tied the sequence.
The Leafs confirmed admirable personality in rallying from being ill 3-1 within the best-of-seven first-round all set. However in a sequence by which they didn’t have their complete all set in their stars for it all, they may now not whole the comeback.
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Had the Leafs had extra good fortune at the energy play games, and at the penalty explode, we’re most definitely speaking a few Toronto sequence win.
The Leafs outscored the Bruins 11-10 at five-on-five, however the Bruins overwhelmed them on particular groups, going 6-for-17 at the energy play games. The Leafs have been 1-for-21.
The Bruins are headed to the Sunshine Atmosphere to collision with the Florida Panthers in the second one around, with Sport 1 all set for Monday evening in Daybreak.
POTENTIAL CHANGES
The low season hypothesis starts now, with the occasion of 3 males — Keefe, Marner and group president Brendan Shanahan — positive to dominate the discussions of what comes later.
There’s refuse indecision that common supervisor Brad Treliving must form a stream (or two) of usefulness. That might come with firing Keefe and/or asking Marner to waive his no-move clause.
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The Leafs demonstrated that they may play games tight, defensive hockey on the maximum intense future of yr. Their total bodily nature was once untouched for the gang.
However given the Leafs’ incapability to show regular-season good fortune into sequence wins within the post-season beneath Keefe, few might be stunned if Treliving makes a decision to form a metamorphosis tardy the bench.
The Leafs can get started negotiating a untouched oath with Marner, who has one yr residue on his tide offer, on July 1. How will that dialog between Treliving and Mariner’s agent, Darren Ferris, advance?
Marner didn’t end up his virtue within the sequence, recording 3 issues in seven video games.
Shanahan has been in rate for 10 years and the Leafs have received one playoff sequence. Will untouched MLSE boss Keith Pelley want to be satisfied that he shouldn’t fireplace Shanahan?
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This Leafs team, the core this is, by no means has been admirable at having a look inward and being in point of fact self-critical. That persevered.
“Look, I don’t think there’s an issue with the core,” William Nylander stated. “I think we were (bleeping) right there all series, battled hard and got to Game 7 in OT. That’s a (bleep) feeling.”
And this from captain John Tavares: “The type of hockey we needed to play to give ourselves a chance to win the series, and the way we came together, there’s no doubt we are right there.”
In reality, there’s some indecision. Akin doesn’t depend in hockey. And it’s now not as regardless that the Leafs are coming related to profitable the Stanley Cup.
“This is as tight a group as I’ve been a part of here,” Auston Matthews stated. “I feel like we say that every year, but it truly was an incredible group.”
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However now not just right plethora, nor tight plethora, to win.
Keefe paused upcoming he was once requested how strongly he believes this core will ultimately fracture via.
“We have been talking about this for a long time, trying to break through for a long time,” Keefe stated. “The answer is going to fall on deaf ears in that sense, and I get that.
“All I will say is the way the group pulled together in this last week, and through the season, this group was different this year. The core you are referring to isn’t different. The guys around it are different, the feeling around the team was different, we played different. I thought we showed signs in this series of a team that could win. There are reasons for me to believe that this team will win.”
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GAME ON
The fit served as a snapshot of what the sequence had transform. It was once tight-checking, with scoring probabilities most commonly coming best upcoming diligence.
The postponed had witnesses on edge from the hole faceoff, and there was once not anything to turn at the scoreboard via 40 mins.
Nylander scored the sport’s first purpose at 9:01 of the 3rd duration, hitting an viewable web tardy goalie Jeremy Swayman on a go from Matthews, upcoming Tyler Bertuzzi were given regulate alongside the forums.
The construction wasn’t quiet for lengthy. At 10:22, Lindholm join the sport, getting a shot via some our bodies to overcome Samsonov at the quick aspect.
Thick was once the drama sooner than the sport, as word of honour started to flow into that Leafs goalie Joseph Woll would now not be taking part in.
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That changed into the Leafs’ truth when Samsonov led the group directly to the ice for the pre-game warmup. Inside of seconds, the Leafs posted on X that Woll was once out on account of an shock that the 25-year-old suffered in Sport 6.
There have been refuse indication in the last few days that Woll, who starred within the Leafs’ wins in Video games 5 and six, would now not be in web. Keefe showed that it was once overdue in Sport 6 that Woll was once harm.
Martin Jones dressed because the alternative.
Samsonov was once genius, completing with 29 saves.
MATTHEWS RETURNS
Later there was once Matthews, who have been skating via himself within the generation month sooner than he joined his teammates for the morning skate and next performed 17 1/2 mins upcoming lacking the former two video games.
To start with, Matthews neglected practices and morning skates as he handled an defect. Someday within the generation month, the considering is that it was once an shock that stored Matthews out.
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“I’m not going to get into that tonight,” Matthews stated when requested about his shock. “The next couple of days, will process this and go over it, but not getting into that tonight.”
Matthews wasn’t himself, not at all the dominating participant he was once in Sport 2, however was once in a position to form an affect. In addition to an lend a hand, Matthews had 3 photographs on purpose, six hits and was once 11-8 within the faceoff circle.
In Matthews’ go back, Nick Robertson was once scratched.
NYLANDER CONFIRMS
Nylander loose some brightness on why he neglected the primary 3 video games of the sequence.
“They just kept me precautionary to see what was going on,” Nylander stated. “I had a migraine, but in case it could have been a concussion (he was kept out). Once I started feeling better, they let me play.”
What problem would there were in seeking to play games regardless that a migraine?
“The situation is very complicated,” Nylander stated. “It’s hard to explain exactly what it is. My vision goes, can’t really see out of my eyes, gets messed up. It’s hard to play.”
tkoshan@postmedia.com
X: @koshtorontosun
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