What Went Wrong: What Happens Now?

This was their best chance. Their best chance.

When the Toronto Maple Leafs won a playoff series last year, their first in 19 years, I saw this as the beginning of good things happening for this team. Lord knows, they deserve good things. The second round fizzled for them, but hey, they made it there. They still had the talented players. To me, I saw a Leafs team that could go far.

Now, this season saw their share of hiccups, blown leads, and shaky goaltending, and they were actually in danger of being one of the Wild Cards, but they managed to stay in that top 3 in the Atlantic Division. Their opponents: the Boston Bruins. Yeah, them. Now, when you win 65 games, you have nowhere else to go but down after that. Even with the shaky season that the Leafs had, this was their best chance to beat their longtime bogeyman.

Then the first four games were played. It was not good. It looked like this series would end in five games, especially with Auston Matthews out sick. In spite of that, and I mean in spite of that, the Leafs persevered. A close Game Five win in OT. A nail-biting Game Six win at home. Mind you, this was without Auston Matthews! Game Seven was back at Boston. This was Toronto's best chance to finally exorcise that demon. Scoreless after 20. Scoreless after 40. Ilya Samsonov back in net because Joseph Woll, who won those two games, was injured. Matthews was back, and he would assist on William Nylander's goal that broke the scoreless tie. They wouldn't enjoy that lead for long, as Hampus Lindholm tied it. Overtime happened, even after Toronto came very close to winning it in the final seconds. I had good feelings about the Leafs. I said that they would win it.

And then David Pastrnak had to happen.

Sooo...let's talk about everyone's favorite subject when it comes to the Maple Leafs: the core. Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander. All good players, all important pieces, and all of them costing a lot of pretty pennies. Matthews received a four year extension worth $53 million, and that kicks in next year. All he did this year was score 69 goals, and in the playoffs, a goal and three helpers in five games. William Nylander received a new eight-year extension worth $92 million, and while he only played four games in the series, he had three goals (two in Game Six and one in Game Seven). John Tavares ($11M/yr) and Mitch Marner ($10.9M/yr) both find their current deals ending next season. Both played all seven games. Marner had three points (G/2 A), while Tavares had two points (G/A). Meanwhile, Matthew Knies, who isn't even making $1M/yr, had two goals--including an OT winner.

The Leafs really tried to comeback from this, but the great attempts came too little, too late. As a result, we have a regression from the previous year, and the continuation of Toronto's woes against Boston in the postseason. And mind you, this is after they let Kyle Dubas go as their GM. Which begs the question: should the Leafs fire Sheldon Keefe as head coach? Many Leafs fans say Keefe's the problem. He has another two-year extension coming to him starting next year, but do they buy him out and can him anyway? So begins another interesting offseason for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

I repeat: this was their best chance. I truly believe that. Despite this regression, I still see good things for the Leafs next season.

If you like this story, click the heart and the subscribe button, and feel free to comment below! Tips and pledges would be greatly appreciated, but only if you want to do so!