Ranking the Maple Leafs playoff series | HFBoards - NHL Message Board and Forum for National Hockey League

Ranking the Maple Leafs playoff series

Aug 25, 2009
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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!
 
Stop! Stop! it's already dead !

1hb2am.jpg


On topic : I have a soft spot for #2
 
Last edited:
I was on the other side of it, but I'd think 2024 would have higher pain score than that. I know what losing in game 7 OT feels like, and it sucks. And it was to the Bruins, again. And they also held a (brief) 3rd period lead.
 
I was on the other side of it, but I'd think 2024 would have higher pain score than that. I know what losing in game 7 OT feels like, and it sucks. And it was to the Bruins, again. And they also held a (brief) 3rd period lead.
No OT but 2013....Ouch!
 
The 2013 team was a joke and shouldn't have been in the playoffs to begin with. It was a shorten season and if it was full the leafs would not have made the playoffs. It's very difficult to call that year a choke. They overachieved.

Against Montreal though - that's an actual choke.
 
They just need a pep talk from the first Caucasian player in the NHL Kris Letang on a lonely/snowy Christmas night and they'll turn it around.
 
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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!
Some miserable montreal boy trying to hype on leafs. Compensating on smth?
 
Obvious this topic wasn’t started by a Leafs fan. 2013 isn’t even close to the worst. That team was not good and had no expectations. Sure it ended dramatically but pushing Boston to 7 was a miracle and they were never going to seriously contend. Any of the last 5 losses were more painful.
 
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The fact this was done on a train with limited wifi just makes it so much funnier. I doubt this lasts but what a glorious f*** you to leafs fans from the OP.lmao

And my vote is that Boston game.
 
Leafs made the playoffs nine years in a row and every year I thought they had a good chance to have a run. Sure the whole “have a run” thinking was likely influenced by eastern Toronto media, but still the club was pretty good. I wish my club, during that time frame, could have been that good. I feel for Toronto fans seeing their really good club of nine straight playoffs being taken apart.
 
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Leafs made the playoffs nine years in a row and every year I thought they had a good chance to have a run. Sure the whole “have a run” thinking was likely influenced by eastern Toronto media, but still the club was pretty good. I wish my club, during that time frame, could have been that good. I feel for Toronto fans seeing their really good club of nine straight playoffs being taken apart.
Never. Ever. Feel for Toronto fans.

They render national broadcasters de facto local broadcasters as it's all Leafs, all the time.

This is why I never watch the talk shows on SN or TSN - and Jeff O'Neill annoys the hell out of me; what grown ass man uses dog in his nickname?
 
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Habitant on Leafers smack down.
Habs fans had plenty of time (outside of covid divisions) to take notes because their team was already no longer playing :sarcasm:

2023 Panthers weren’t your “normal” 8th seed....
 
Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals between Edmonton and Florida, and you felt it best to share your personal rankings on the Leaf's playoff runs over the past decade?

Main character syndrome much?
 

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