Another early exit.
David Pastrnak scored the series-deciding game-winner two minutes into overtime, sending the Toronto Maple Leafs home early yet again. William Nylander gave his team the lead halfway through the third, but the Bruins responded less than two minutes later, allowing Boston’s best player a chance to be the hero.
The Leafs did well to force a suspenseful Game 7 given all of their injuries, but a first-round loss is still a first-round loss. They were demolished on special teams, and they couldn’t find a way to create many high-danger scoring chances.
It’s bound to be another interesting offseason in Toronto.
Player reports
Important note: Player grades are based on the entire series, rather than just Game 7.
A+
Joseph Woll
Woll missed Game 7, but he was the main reason why his team made it there in the first place. He stopped 27-of-28 in a Game 5 overtime win, and stole the show again in Game 6. The moment never got to him.
Jake McCabe
It’s tough to overstate how well McCabe played in this series. He took the bulk of the minutes against one of the league’s best goal scorers in David Pastrnak, and thrived on the right side while paying with a partner who passed through waivers earlier this season.
William Nylander
Nylander missed the first three games of the series, but found a way to make a major impact by scoring both of his team’s goals in Game 6, as well as the opening goal in Game 7. He wasn’t exactly dominant, and his first goal was a bit of a fluke, but he was clutch when his team needed him to be.
WILLIAM NYLANDER GIVES THE LEAFS THE LEAD 🚨 pic.twitter.com/Iym7jCVUkf
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) May 5, 2024
A
Ilya Lyubushkin
The Leafs won his minutes 6-to-1 in his five-on-five minutes. He was less impressive by expected goal differential, and the Bruins did generate a fair number of scoring chances when he was on, but he ultimately did an impressive Luke Schenn impression.
Matthew Knies
Knies scored the overtime winner in Game 5, and made a clever pass to set up Nylander for the eventual game-winning goal in Game 6. He also capitalized on an excellent pass from Mitch Marner in Game 3, so it’s not like he didn’t make an impact on the scoresheet. He was one of Toronto’s best players in Game 7, and sure is clutch for someone who is only 21.
A-
Max Domi
This series was mainly a defensive battle at five-on-five, but there were plenty of chances on both ends when Domi was on the ice. He was a beast in the faceoff circle, and although he failed to capitalize on a few high-danger chances, he did manage to rack up four points.
B+
Simon Benoit
Benoit played tough minutes, and his pair performed quite well considering they combine to take up less than $3 million in cap space. The downside with him is that the Leafs generated very little offensively during his minutes, and his iffy puck-moving contributes to the team’s lack of scoring.
B
Pontus Holmberg
Holmberg is on the team to be a defensively responsible forward who works hard. He did his role effectively, but he also failed to generate any offence.
B-
Morgan Rielly
The Leafs fared quite well in Rielly’s minutes as he was only on for three five-on-five goals against. However, there are high expectations on Rielly to elevate his game in the playoffs, and he wasn’t exactly a game-breaker offensively. He deserves some of the criticism for the poor power-play results.
C+
Ilya Samsonov
Samsonov played well in Game 2, but ultimately lost his job after Game 4. It’s not like he was dreadful, but I didn’t like the first goal that he allowed in Games 3 and 4. He had a huge opportunity to be the hero in Game 7, and got off to a great start by stopping all 18 shots that he faced in the first two periods. However, less than two minutes after the Leafs took a third-period lead, Hampus Lindholm beat him to the blocker side:
Hampus Lindholm ties it pic.twitter.com/cOlGLmp13S
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) May 5, 2024
David Pastrnak then beat him for the series-deciding goal:
it’s over pic.twitter.com/6mE05gYd5T
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) May 5, 2024
Nick Robertson
Robertson did not look out of place, but was ultimately a healthy scratch in Game 7. He can definitely play in a playoff lineup, but his line never scored, so it’s tough to argue that he was much of a difference maker.
Connor Dewar
His line didn’t do anything special, but he was largely as advertised. He was responsible defensively, forechecked well, and was also a bit of a pest. His grade would be better if he converted on his breakaway in Game 7.
Calle Järnkrok
Järnkrok was as advertised. He works hard, wins a ton of battles, and is on the ice for plenty of defensive zone faceoffs. He’s a perfectly fine defensive forward, but he wasn’t on for a Leafs goal at five-on-five, and that’s partially due to the fact that he’s not a great puck carrier or playmaker.
Timothy Liljegren
Liljegren wasn’t all that noticeable in this series, which isn’t the worst thing in the world. However, given how many defensive defencemen are on this team, it would have been nice if he stepped up more offensively.
C
John Tavares
He made a great play to set up Knies for the overtime winner in Game 5, and scored a key power-play goal in Game 2. The Bruins failed to generate much of anything during his minutes, but apart from the assist on the overtime winner, he didn’t generate a ton of offence at even strength.
Mitch Marner
He only had three points in the series, but one was a highlight-reel goal, and one was a highlight-reel assist. He was also the team’s best defensive forward, and the Bruins struggled to create much of anything during his minutes. He was decent but not dominant at five-on-five, but given what he’s paid, he needs to be able to set up a goal or two on the power play. His two best set-ups in Game 7 were to Joel Edmundson.
Tyler Bertuzzi
His line was excellent in Game 5, but he failed to generate much offensively in this series. None of his first three points were all that impressive, but he did pick up a key secondary assist on Toronto’s opening goal in Game 7.
Joel Edmundson
Edmundson’s minutes were dull, and he was a bit of an odd fit on a team that already had Lyubushkin and Benoit. His pair often plays sheltered minutes, and he doesn’t exactly have the offensive skill set to capitalize on playing against bottom-six forwards. He was brought in to help the team’s penalty kill, but Boston’s power play didn’t get the memo.
C-
David Kämpf
Kämpf struggled in the first five games, but was quite effective in game six. Given his usage and linemates, it’s tough to blame him for failing to create many scoring chances, but he does deserve a share of the criticism for the team’s struggles on the penalty kill.
D
Ryan Reaves
The Leafs were outplayed in Reaves’ minutes, and he was removed from the lineup after Game 5. He hasn’t scored in 71 consecutive playoff games, and while that’s not his role, his lack of offence wasn’t exactly helping a team that consistently struggles to score in the playoffs.
TJ Brodie
Brodie played 17:10 in Game 4 and was on for two goals against. Keefe did not put him in the lineup again.
MIA
Noah Gregor
He played 8:21 in Game 6 and earned himself a spot in the Game 7 lineup. However, he didn’t play enough to warrant a grade.
Auston Matthews
Matthews was excellent in Game 2, putting the team on his back with three points in a 3-2 victory. While he still didn’t look to be 100 percent in Game 7, he found a way to set up Nylander for the game’s first goal. He just didn’t look like himself, and wasn’t able to play in Games 5 and 6. It’s difficult to grade a player who is clearly playing through something.
Game Score for Game 7
Final grade for the series: C+
Similar to previous years, the Leafs played close and low-scoring games, but never looked like a dominant offensive team. The close games are often decided on one bounce, call, or save, and the end result feels like it’s decided on a coin flip. While this type of series shouldn’t have happened against Montreal or Columbus, it was not the worst strategy this time around given all of the injuries. There are far more valid excuses this year, but we’re ultimately left with a familiar story.
Their special teams were horrendous. They played extremely well defensively after Game 4, but they struggled to score, and it felt like they were trying to win every game 1-0. The final grade is respectable, as the Leafs played a skeleton lineup that battled through plenty of adversity, and this series ended up coming down to one final play. However, if you were to grade this team over the long haul, you could only give them an F.
The franchise might just be cursed.
What’s next for the Leafs?
Off to the golf course.
(Photo: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)
