Maple Leafs’ embarrassing loss to Emergency Goalie causes flashbacks to that Game Seven vs. Boston for fans
On February 22, 2020, the Toronto Maple Leafs suffered one of their most embarrassing losses in history when they fell 6-3 to the Carolina Hurricanes, a team that was forced to send out David Ayres, a 42 year-old Zamboni Driver for the Toronto Marlies, as an emergency backup goalie after both Carolina goalies were injured during the game. The win made Ayres the oldest goalie to win a regular season game, the first emergency backup to ever record a victory, and an overnight sensation who may be getting his own Disney movie down the road. The Leafs, well, they continue to be the butt of everyone’s joke and an international laughingstock. Losing to a Zamboni driver who works for them, who they practice with on a regular basis, might actually be the franchise’s most humiliating defeat in history; something which Leafs fans surely won’t be able to forget for years. But in my mind, there’s only one game which takes the cake, an embarrassing loss that will certainly never be forgotten: That Game 7 collapse against the Boston Bruins during the 2013 NHL playoffs.
I started following the Leafs when they first made the playoffs in 2013 during the lockout-shortened season. The city was buzzing with excitement as the Leafs finally made the playoffs for the first time since 2004, and Toronto was set to face the Boston Bruins in the first round, one of the most dominant hockey teams in the NHL that season. The series between the Bruins and the Leafs was intense; with both teams playing exceptionally close games as the teams fought tooth-and-nail for the chance to move on to the second round. Down 3-1 in the series, the Leafs led by goaltender James Reimer, fought their way back to win both Games 5 and 6 to force Game 7 at the TD Garden on May 13, 2013. I was excited to watch the game after school ended for the day and couldn’t wait to see if the Leafs could pull through against Boston.
The first two periods of the game were tense as the Leafs and the Bruins played defensive-minded hockey, unwilling to concede too many goals to the opposing side. Heading into the 3rd period, Toronto was leading 2-1 over Boston, but I knew that a lot could happen in twenty minutes. I got my hopes up when the Leafs scored two goals in quick succession, bringing the Leafs up 4-1 over the Bruins with eleven minutes to go. The commentators noted that no team trailing by three goals in the third period had ever won a Game 7 in NHL playoff history, and we couldn’t help but begin to celebrate. (Editor’s Note: I am getting sick just reading this)
The Bruins brought the game back to 4-2, but I didn’t think much of it at the time, I believed that the Leafs could hold out for the last two minutes of the game. But then the Bruins scored another goal with one-and-a-half-minute left to make it 4-3, and all of a sudden my heart began to race as Boston increased its pressure on Toronto’s defence. Then with a minute left in the third period, Patrice Bergeron of the Bruins scored the tying goal and forced the game into overtime.
I was stunned, my brother shouted expletives, and the commentators were in disbelief. I tried to cling onto hope that the Leafs could rally and pull out a win in overtime. To my dismay, the Leafs looked like they were just as in shock as they couldn’t keep up with the reinvigorated Bruins during overtime. The final nail in the coffin came from Bergeron, again, as his winning goal sailed past Leafs goalie James Reimer and hit the back of the net. I stared in bewilderment as Reimer laid on the ice, the Bruins celebrated, and the Leafs players hunched over in embarrassment and defeat. My brother quickly turned off the TV and we sat in stunned silence before slowly leaving the living room. As bad as losing to Ayres was, it was this game which will be forever known to Leafs fans as one of the worst collapses in playoff history and for myself, as the most brutal and painful introduction to being a Leafs fan that I did not have the pleasure of having.