The Toronto Maple Leafs were on the wrong side of a Game 4 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators. The Leafs still hold a commanding 3-1 series lead, but a giant albatross looms.
The loss to the Senators saw Toronto's record in close-out games fall to an unimaginable 1-12 over the past nine postseasons. That dubious stat, and its many underlying factors, explain the Leafs continuous underachievement in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Since failure has happened so frequently in recent years, anyone following the NHL playoffs can be excused if they are waiting for the inevitable disappointment to occur. Even exasperated Maple Leafs fans struggle to shake the "doom-and-gloom" feeling.
The current iteration of the Leafs rode a different style to the top of the Atlantic Division during the regular season. Under new head coach Craig Berube's leadership, they looked like a team better constructed for playoff success. The upcoming Game 5 against the Senators is their chance to prove it.
Game 5 is the Leafs opportunity to show they are a different team
The Maple Leafs started this series as the favorite, but with more pressure due to their lack of postseason accomplishments. Heightening the urgency is the likely dismantling of their core should they have another quick early-round exit.
The Leafs negated that duress by storming out to a 3-0 series lead. With one victory, Ottawa has gained momentum but also put the focus back on Toronto's ineptitude when trying to win a series.
The Maple Leafs can't be criticized for their Game 4 effort. The Leafs were the better team after the Senators' quick, two-goal, first-period lead. Despite pushing the game to overtime, for the first time this series, they were on the wrong side of the overtime bounce.
Now, the whispers and tales of the Leafs woeful playoff past will start. The noise will only grow should the Senators prevail in Game 5 and send the series back to Ottawa. "Same old Leafs" talk will ramp up.
There are enough new additions to this year's Maple Leafs team to represent a new beginning. Berube's leadership is the most obvious, influential change, but Chris Tanev, Anthony Stolarz, Brandon Carlo, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Scott Laughton, and Steven Lorentz have all been sources of inspiration in various ways.
They, too, however, will succumb to the despair and the feeling of "here we go again" should the Leafs not end this series quickly.
For the Maple Leafs core, with all their scars and ghosts of playoffs past, it is another chance to show that this time will be different. Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, William Nylander, and Morgan Rielly have all had shining moments in this series that the team's fans have longed for.
Their dominance, along with great play from Stolarz and Tanev, is why the Leafs have a significant lead in the series. Game 5 is another chance to make their mark.
If Berube has changed the Toronto Maple Leafs, Game 5 is their chance to show it. It's time to dominate a lesser opponent and clinch a series on home ice. Don't give the naysayers a chance to get started.