After this year's TDL I thought the Leafs were, by far, better positioned and better mentally inclined, to go on a deep run in the playoffs. The efforts against Tampa were acceptable, but not outstanding and we won a series. Yeah! The efforts against Florida - in games one and two - were again acceptable, but I can't say I was overwhelmed. And then came game 3. After that the chances were so slim as to be almost non-existent. Facing a goalie on a heater and a team buoyed by just being in the playoffs and then knocking off the hottest team in the league, we were toast.
After a few weeks away from participating here, my armchair perspective on what I saw can be distilled down to one point; for whatever reason(s) this team lacks a passion to compete when pressured in hard fought moments, and more disturbingly, it lacks the passion all great teams have when it comes to 'all for one, one for all.' They did not fight for each other, they did not protect each other, they did not stand up for each other, they did not respond for each other.
How this mentality evolved, I'll leave for better brains than mine to consider, but throughout this 4 or 5 year period of Leaf hockey I've yet to see this team display the type of passion that is required to win a Cup. It's just not part of the DNA of this team. Curiously, there are but a few constants who have been here that full period of time, and I tend to believe that the most important constants are those who play the game, not those who coach it or those who GM it.
There are 3 players on this team I would not move: Morgan Rielly, Matthew Knies and Joe Woll.