The Toronto Maple Leafs entered their first-round playoff series, hoping to finally advance a round for the first time since 2004. Instead, in their seventh straight postseason berth, the Leafs gave their hometown fans more of the same:
A giant dud at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Before Toronto could even catch its breath, the Lightning had a 2-0 lead just about seven minutes into Game 1. By the end of the period, Tampa Bay held a 3-0 margin. In an eventual 7-3 blowout loss, Leafs fans were, predictably, not taking this well.
Thirty minutes into what was supposed to be the start of a fun spring, Leafs fans inside and outside of Toronto’s home arena were sitting in stunned silence. I would imagine it was much of the same for any folks watching at home:
*checks in on Maple Leafs fans* 😶 pic.twitter.com/yXWjLaUSFq
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 19, 2023
This series is far from over, and the Leafs are probably still the better team on paper. But with the way Toronto lost Game 1, it’s seemingly already following a familiar, disappointing playoff script.
Leafs fans know the deal better than anyone.