Seven Musings: No one’s blowing up the Leafs if they lose Game 7

Feelings are going to run excessive the subsequent day or two.

The Maple Leafs are going to really feel it, and listen to it, from a fan base that doesn’t wish to be fooled once more.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are enjoying with home cash. In the event that they lose Sport 7 on Saturday at Scotiabank Area, nobody will blink an eye fixed. They’ll get a deserved pat on the again for profitable the Stanley Cup twice in a row. Nobody will assume much less of them for bowing out early.

But when the Leafs lose? Oh my. That might be six first-round exits in a row, and 0 for 9 in elimination video games with the opponent on the ropes within the Auston Matthews-Mitch Marner period. (You may say 0-for-seven and 0-for-10 should you counted the Phil Kessel-era 2013 loss in Boston, however let’s not add to this group’s distress.)

Followers can be furious, calling for heads.

However within the occasion of a loss, cooler heads inside Maple Leaf Sports activities and Leisure will prevail. Common supervisor Kyle Dubas received’t be firing Sheldon Keefe. President Brendan Shanahan received’t be firing Dubas. And possession received’t be firing Shanahan.

And wholesale change — firing all three — can be absurd.

Nope. This core is robust sufficient that MLSE can already pencil in one other first spherical in 2023, with the following excessive scores for broadcasters which are 75 per cent of the possession group.

There might be tinkering, for positive, however their core gamers have proven up. So as, Matthews, William Nylander, Marner, John Tavares and Morgan Rielly are their main playoff scorers. There might be a query or two about goaltending.

A loss can be maddening, for positive. The loser or choker label on the core can be onerous for them to take. The strain will solely mount for them to win a collection. However that may be a 12 months away.

To the Seven Musings.

1. By no means would have thought the goaltending numbers can be absurdly dangerous. Andrei Vasilevskiy’s save share is .885, nineteenth among the many 26 goalies who received right into a sport within the first spherical. Jack Campbell’s is .893, two spots higher.

2. No matter occurs, the Leafs’ determination on goaltending this summer season might be an attention-grabbing one. Campbell is an unrestricted free agent. Can’t see him signing for lower than Petr Mrázek’s $3.8-million (U.S.) common annual wage. That’s received to be the benchmark.

3. Mrázek is practising in full, although Erik Källgren continues to again up. Bought to marvel if there might be a summertime marketplace for Mrázek.

4. The Kings have completed very nicely scouting the Leafs in a number of trades which introduced Campbell, Jake Muzzin and Kyle Clifford to Toronto. Trevor Moore, Carl Grundstrom and Sean Durzi are all enjoying main roles within the Kings’ resurgence.

5. Ilya Mikheyev has two empty-net objectives this collection. These are his solely objectives in 18 playoff video games. The Leafs want him to do a bit extra. He’s a pending UFA too.

6. Had the Leafs received Sport 6, they’d have had no scarcity of time beyond regulation shot-blocking heroes, amongst them Mark Giordano and Ilya Lyubushkin. Giordano and Alex Kerfoot made a few egregious giveaways that changed into a 2-0 Tampa lead.

7. With the ability to say: “It’s on ESPN2” has made discovering NHL video games a lot simpler in bars in the USA.

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