It's little consolation to the Toronto Maple Leafs and their fans, but the much-maligned organization presented the greatest challenge to the Florida Panthers' bid for back-to-back championships.
The Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers in six games, winning 5-1 at Amerant Bank Arena on Tuesday, to capture their second Stanley Cup in a row on their third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Finals.
It was not Connor McDavid and friends, however, that were the biggest obstacle the Panthers faced in their quest for a modern-day dynasty. It was Auston Matthews, Craig Berube, and the rest of the Maple Leafs.
The "We're number 2! (sort of)" moniker won't placate the players or the team's fans over a summer of likely upheaval. It's an epithet that exacerbates the agony around those associated with the Leafs, but the facts can't be denied.
Maple Leafs presented the greatest challenge to the Panthers repeat
Toronto fans don't need to be reminded of the Leafs' position during their second-round matchup against the Panthers, but let's recap. After jumping out to a 2-0 series lead with a pair of home victories, the Maple Leafs had multiple two-goal leads (2-0 and 3-1) during Game 3, before losing 5-4 in overtime.
It was a critical point in the series and a game that was marked by unusual bounces on goals from both sides. In the end, Lady Luck frowned on the Leafs' chances during the extra session. Morgan Rielly was denied the overtime winner after hitting the post/crossbar. Not long after, Toronto nemesis Brad Marchand secured the Florida victory after a deflection that was last touched by the stick of Rielly. Instead of a commanding 3-0 series lead, Florida now trailed only two games to one with renewed confidence.
That game changed the fortunes of both teams and the entire outlook of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Panthers rode that momentum to two more wins before the Leafs showed resilience in a Game 6 road victory to set up a decisive Game 7 in Toronto. It was the only time during the entire playoffs that Florida faced elimination. Toronto couldn't sustain the momentum and crumbled in Game 7 after a similar home-ice debacle in Game 5.
Edmonton looked to have gained the upper hand during the Stanley Cup Finals after coming back from a three-goal deficit to win Game 4 in overtime and regain home-ice advantage. The Oilers' momentum, like Toronto's, was short-lived. In Game 5, the Panthers jumped out to yet another multiple-goal advantage after the first period and never looked back. They cruised to a 5-2 win and followed up with a dominant four-goal victory in the Game 6 Cup-clincher.
The Panthers outscored Toronto 26-17 over their seven-game series. They outscored Edmonton 28-17 over six games. After period one of Game 5, however, Florida took over, and their second consecutive title was never in doubt.
Another factor that shouldn't be forgotten in Toronto's series vs. Florida is the Game 1 injury suffered by the Leafs' starting goaltender, Anthony Stolarz. Stolarz was concussed by a combination of receiving a hard shot to his mask and a controversial Sam Bennett elbow. Bennett did the same thing during the Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Backup goaltender Joseph Woll was not the reason the Leafs lost the series, but Stolarz was stellar in the net to finish the regular season and starting the playoffs. It will never be known how having him in goal might have changed the outcome of the series or the Maple Leafs confidence for Games 5 and 7 at home.
There is no denying the Florida Panthers are the best team in the NHL and deserve credit for their dominance in this year's playoffs. The last three years have demonstrated their supremacy.
The Toronto Maple Leafs were that close to interrupting the Panthers' reign. The Leafs are left to contemplate that over the long year ahead until they get another shot.