There are three guarantees in life. Death, taxes, and the Toronto Maple Leafs losing a game seven contest.
In the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, the Maple Leafs initially had a 2-0 series lead over the Florida Panthers. It looked like they’d finally break their playoff curse and make it to the Eastern Conference Finals.
However, the curse remains as the Maple Leafs lost four of the next five games. They were down 3-2 in the series and won a crucial game six 2-0 on the road.
This led to a game seven showdown, and history once again repeated itself for the Maple Leafs. Toronto tied the record with a seventh straight game 7 loss.
Death, Taxes, & The Toronto Maple Leafs Choking In Game Seven
The Maple Leafs have lost seven straight game seven contests, which is tied for the most in NHL history.
Here is a breakdown of this dreadful stretch.
- 2025: Florida Panthers defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-1
- 2024: Boston Bruins defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1
- 2022: Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1
- 2021: Montreal Canadiens defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1
- 2019: Boston Bruins defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-1
- 2018: Boston Bruins defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 7-4
- 2013: Boston Bruins defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-4 in overtime
Toronto has been unable to score more than one goal in the last five game seven contests.
The Boston Bruins have defeated the Maple Leafs in game seven four times since 2013.
Many Factors Have Contributed To Toronto’s Game Seven Failures
This has become a trend for the Maple Leafs, and one has to wonder when or if this playoff curse will be broken.
Offensive Woes
The biggest reason the Maple Leafs have been unable to win a game seven in recent years is how poorly their offense has performed in those games. They have scored just one goal in each of their last five game-seven contests. Their star offensive players falter in the biggest moments.
Stanley Cup Drought
The Maple Leafs have arguably the best fan base in hockey. Yet, they have not won a Stanley Cup in 58 years. This has caused tremendous pressure on the organization to deliver, and they have just continued to come up short in big moments.
Lack Of Coaching
When a team loses seven straight game seven games, coaching needs to be questioned. They look unprepared and disorganized in game seven contests.
Where Do The Maple Leafs Go From Here?
This is now the biggest question the Maple Leafs need to figure out. They need to figure out if they are going to keep rolling back and hoping for better results next season, or decide to blow the team up. It is clear massive changes need to be made. They cannot keep this core group on offense as they have just been unable to get it done in a game seven contest.
