At this point, a devastating Maple Leafs’ loss in some shape or form should probably be expected. With one of the more talented cores in the NHL, Toronto has basically made it a time-honored tradition to waste that talent come the spring when the playoffs roll around.
On Wednesday night, during their season opener against the Canadiens (+200), the Leafs pivoted somewhat and started the year with a meltdown.
In a back-and-forth battle, Toronto seemingly couldn’t shake Montreal, taking the lead twice and surrendering it … twice in the second period. When the closing stanza came around, the Canadiens took the advantage with a 3-2 lead before the Leafs would tie it up in the final few minutes.
It seemed like we’d be heading for overtime until a Josh Anderson shot found the back of the net, on new goal Matt Murray no less, with roughly 17 seconds on the clock:
Oh, how we've missed late-game dramatics. 😌 #NHLFaceOff
Cc: @joshanderson_77 pic.twitter.com/quSPPZtdyF
— NHL (@NHL) October 13, 2022
How glorious and painful, at the same time, to lose to Montreal 4-3 in such a fashion. The Leafs couldn’t even contain themselves enough not to blow a potential win one game into their season. If this is how the Toronto 2022-2023 campaign begins, it might be another eventual agonizing year for the Leafs.