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Ranking the Maple Leafs playoff series

banks said:
2013 vs the Bruins. This was more than a sporting event for me. I've touched on it on HF in the past, and still won't get into all the details here. But my whole family was going through a tough time, including health issues and a death in the family. Because of this, we were all together already when this game happened, so it was an accidental family reunion. You could feel it in the room, we needed a win. As a family, it felt like we earned something good. Some kind of reward for going through everything together. We needed hope in the world. We needed a positive thing to rally around, we deserved it. And there it was, a Leafs win was materializing, like it was a gift just for us from the Hockey Gods, or God himself. Then the crash was the most demoralizing experience of my life. It was like all the colour in the room turned grey. It was a living definition for the word despair. We were living in reality, without the happy endings. As the overtime played out to silence, there was a crushing understanding that people are mortal. I can still feel the handle of my mother's wheelchair in my hand as the game ended. They lost. We were losing. The moment wouldn't have been darker with a mushroom cloud growing outside the window. With noting to lift our spirits, we were left there with nothing going on except the health problems and grief. Like a goldenticket-less Charlie, sitting in the slanted shack realizing that the book ends at this chapter without the whimsy. Life is pain, highness.
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banks said:
Sorry to get dark. I didn't intend to when I started typing, it just poured out.

I'm honestly good now. So no worries. Thanks for the kind message!
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Holy $#*+ dude!

Glad you're OK now. But that first post should have a warning label. That's heavy stuff. You accidentally wrote some legit tragic poetry.
 
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banks said:
I won't get into a real ranking, especially for a thread that's clearly a troll job. But I will use this as an opportunity to vent a bit. Haters, feel free top enjoy my pain for this one. You have my blessing.

Of all the eerily similar failures, there's only 3 that truly stand out as unique. I'll define them here with no particular order:

2021 vs the Habs. Being the favourite against a huge rival and still blowing it? That was the only one that was a true embarrassment. Not a disappointment, an embarrassment. Montreal was a joy to watch that year, proving you could go so far with only two things that the Leafs didn't have: Heart and a superstar goaltender.

2025 vs the Panthers. This is the only loss that made me mad. I defended the team after all the other losses. Always arguing that the core could get it done eventually, it just didn't come up heads in a close series. But not anymore. This series broke me as a fan. I tossed a jersey in the trash bin, and enjoyed walking it to the curb for pickup. I've done a 180 on players I used to love. I'm mad. And I don't care about the team the same way anymore.

2013 vs the Bruins. This was more than a sporting event for me. I've touched on it on HF in the past, and still won't get into all the details here. But my whole family was going through a tough time, including health issues and a death in the family. Because of this, we were all together already when this game happened, so it was an accidental family reunion. You could feel it in the room, we needed a win. As a family, it felt like we earned something good. Some kind of reward for going through everything together. We needed hope in the world. We needed a positive thing to rally around, we deserved it. And there it was, a Leafs win was materializing, like it was a gift just for us from the Hockey Gods, or God himself. Then the crash was the most demoralizing experience of my life. It was like all the colour in the room turned grey. It was a living definition for the word despair. We were living in reality, without the happy endings. As the overtime played out to silence, there was a crushing understanding that people are mortal. I can still feel the handle of my mother's wheelchair in my hand as the game ended. They lost. We were losing. The moment wouldn't have been darker with a mushroom cloud growing outside the window. With noting to lift our spirits, we were left there with nothing going on except the health problems and grief. Like a goldenticket-less Charlie, sitting in the slanted shack realizing that the book ends at this chapter without the whimsy. Life is pain, highness.
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Holy crap bud.
 
banks said:
I won't get into a real ranking, especially for a thread that's clearly a troll job. But I will use this as an opportunity to vent a bit. Haters, feel free top enjoy my pain for this one. You have my blessing.

Of all the eerily similar failures, there's only 3 that truly stand out as unique. I'll define them here with no particular order:

2021 vs the Habs. Being the favourite against a huge rival and still blowing it? That was the only one that was a true embarrassment. Not a disappointment, an embarrassment. Montreal was a joy to watch that year, proving you could go so far with only two things that the Leafs didn't have: Heart and a superstar goaltender.

2025 vs the Panthers. This is the only loss that made me mad. I defended the team after all the other losses. Always arguing that the core could get it done eventually, it just didn't come up heads in a close series. But not anymore. This series broke me as a fan. I tossed a jersey in the trash bin, and enjoyed walking it to the curb for pickup. I've done a 180 on players I used to love. I'm mad. And I don't care about the team the same way anymore.

2013 vs the Bruins. This was more than a sporting event for me. I've touched on it on HF in the past, and still won't get into all the details here. But my whole family was going through a tough time, including health issues and a death in the family. Because of this, we were all together already when this game happened, so it was an accidental family reunion. You could feel it in the room, we needed a win. As a family, it felt like we earned something good. Some kind of reward for going through everything together. We needed hope in the world. We needed a positive thing to rally around, we deserved it. And there it was, a Leafs win was materializing, like it was a gift just for us from the Hockey Gods, or God himself. Then the crash was the most demoralizing experience of my life. It was like all the colour in the room turned grey. It was a living definition for the word despair. We were living in reality, without the happy endings. As the overtime played out to silence, there was a crushing understanding that people are mortal. I can still feel the handle of my mother's wheelchair in my hand as the game ended. They lost. We were losing. The moment wouldn't have been darker with a mushroom cloud growing outside the window. With noting to lift our spirits, we were left there with nothing going on except the health problems and grief. Like a goldenticket-less Charlie, sitting in the slanted shack realizing that the book ends at this chapter without the whimsy. Life is pain, highness.
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Glad you're doing well now. Stuff like this makes me mad because it's what the leafs will dismiss as "noise". They don't want to accept that there are real passionate fans behind the team that desperately want success for the team to help them through hard times. It's not just "noise".
 
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De Montreal said:
Hi everyone,

The Maple Leafs had many disappointing playoff since the start of this century especially post 2004.

How would you rank the team elimination, from the most disappointing to the most acceptable ones?

🥇 2013 Round 1 vs. Boston Bruins (Lost in 7)​

Pain Score: 100/10

  • The 4-1 collapse.
  • Leafs led Game 7 by 3 goals with 10 minutes left... and lost in overtime.
  • First playoff appearance in 9 years, and they broke fans’ hearts in the most dramatic way imaginable.
  • Cemented the start of a long era of misery.


🥈 2021 Round 1 vs. Montreal Canadiens (Lost in 7)​


Pain Score: 99/10

  • Blew a 3–1 series lead to their archrival, the Habs.
  • Montreal was the clear underdog.
  • Matthews and Marner combined for 1 goal all series.
  • Game 5 and 6: Leafs lose in OT after massive comebacks.
  • A complete meltdown with massive expectations.


🥉 2018 Round 1 vs. Boston Bruins (Lost in 7)​


Pain Score: 92/10


  • Another Game 7 collapse in Boston.
  • Leafs led Game 7 in the third period (4–3), then gave up 4 unanswered goals.
  • Andersen was shaky. Jake Gardiner was -5.
  • A reminder that the 2013 demons were still very alive.


4. 2019 Round 1 vs. Boston Bruins (Lost in 7)​


Pain Score: 87/10


  • Another Game 7 loss to the Bruins. Third time in 7 years.
  • Leafs led the series 3–2.
  • Game 6 at home was flat. Game 7 wasn’t close.
  • Tavares, Matthews, Marner all invisible.
  • Felt like the core had hit a wall.


5. 2020 Qualifying Round vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (Lost in 5)​


Pain Score: 84/10
  • Pandemic bubble.
  • Leafs were heavily favored. Columbus had no stars.
  • Blew a 3–0 lead in Game 3.
  • Game 4: Incredible comeback to tie it late, then win. Game 5: nothing.
  • Utter failure on the biggest stage.


6. 2022 Round 1 vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (Lost in 7)​


Pain Score: 80/10

  • Leafs had Tampa on the ropes. Series lead 3–2.
  • Game 6 OT loss. Game 7: tight, winnable game.
  • Controversial no-call on Justin Holl screen.
  • Best version of the Leafs to date, but still couldn't get it done.


7. 2023 Round 2 vs. Florida Panthers (Lost in 5)​


Pain Score: 75/10

  • Finally won a round… and then fell flat.
  • Panthers were the 8th seed. Leafs were favored.
  • Games were close, but stars didn’t produce.
  • Just felt like a waste of finally getting over the hump.


8. 2017 Round 1 vs. Washington Capitals (Lost in 6)​


Pain Score: 65/10

  • Young, upstart Leafs vs. Presidents' Trophy winners.
  • Pushed Ovechkin and the Caps to 6 games, 5 of which went to OT.
  • Actually a moral victory — little was expected.
  • Exciting, but not painful.


9. 2024 Round 1 vs. Boston Bruins (Lost in 7)​


Pain Score: 60/10

  • Down 3–1, forced Game 7. Impressive resilience.
  • Game 7 went to OT — but the magic ran out.
  • Loss felt inevitable, and expectations were lower.


Please feel free to add some videos to your ranking. I am currently on a train with limited Wifi so I didnt have a good enough access to YouTube to do it. I wrote that out of boredom

Enjoy the weekend fellow HFBoarders!
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As a Bruins fan I'm partial to numbers 1, 3, 4, and 9.

The Leafs are like a trusted friend who is always working OT to make you feel good about yourself. Even when you totally screw the pooch, the Leafs are always there -- and I do mean always -- to say "hold my beer". Good people.
 
The answer is they're all lol. 2023 might the biggest lol, because they (and their fans) had all the euphoria of finally winning a round, only to produce a wet fart in Round 2.
 
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