I first became a fan of hockey during the lockout-shortened 2012–2013 National Hockey League (NHL) season. Consequently, my first time experiencing Toronto Maple Leafs playoff hockey was during the team’s first round series against the Boston Bruins. In game seven of that series, the Leafs had a three-goal lead with approximately ten minutes to go in the third period and they blew it. Jack Edwards’ call of Patrice Bergeron’s overtime goal is forever seared into my brain. However, this series adequately tempered my expectations and prepared me for a decade of immense disappointment.
Year after year, game seven loss after game seven loss, first round exit after first round exit, I started to think that I was the problem. In reality, this pattern of losing extended back to the early 2000s, long before the infamous game seven collapse of 2013. The 2003–2004 NHL season was the last time the Leafs had won a playoff round, and it remained that way until this past season. It was in these playoffs that the Leafs slayed their demons; they won a game in overtime, they erased a three-goal lead in a third period, and they beat the Tampa Bay Lightning in game six to clinch the first-round series victory. Seeing captain John Tavares’ shot deflect in behind Andrei Vasilevskiy in overtime was cathartic.
My state of jubilation was short-lived as the Leafs subsequently ran into the red-hot Florida Panthers in the second round. Everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong. Lackluster superstars, a concussed rookie, terrible officiating from the referees, an outcoached coach, and a relatively inexperienced Joseph Woll replacing an injured Ilya Samsonov in net ultimately culminated in the Leafs losing to the Panthers in five games. I was devastated, yet not surprised. The feeling was familiar, that of years past.
Now we are on the cusp of the 2023–2024 NHL season. Despite the progress made during last season’s playoffs, I feel little to no optimism for this season. As I write this, the Leafs, in a preseason game, have just blown a third-period lead and lost to the Montreal Canadiens in overtime. Nothing has changed over the past decade. Sure, players and staff have changed, but nothing has really changed. The Leafs are, and will always be, the Leafs; losing and disappointing their fans is inexplicably part of their team DNA. Is this the Leafs’ year? Maybe, but probably not. I now prepare myself for (at least) another decade of disappointment.