The Toronto Maple Leafs had what I’d like to call a Reverse Playoff Game last night.
In the playoffs, the Toronto Maple Leafs will typically be the best team in the game, then lose because of some random, unlikely, nonsense.
Thrash Columbus? Doesn’t matter, they will set an NHL record for save percentage in a playoff series.
Destroy the Habs? Even though Matthews can’t shoot the puck and Tavares isn’t playing? Doesn’t matter.
You could even become the first team in the history of the NHL to force back-to-back overtimes from a multi-goal deficit and still lose, and then everyone will collectively pretend there are reasons beyond random bad luck, despite enough evidence to fill ten Air Canada Centres.