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Tuesday was not kind to the Toronto Maple Leafs

Toronto Maple Leafs v Florida Panthers

SUNRISE, FL - MARCH 14: Goaltender Frederik Andersen #31 of the Toronto Maple Leafs looks up as Nick Bjugstad #27 of the Florida Panthers raises his stick to celebrate the goal by Jonathan Marchessault #81 during first period action at the BB&T Center on March 14, 2017 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)

Getty Images

Tuesday was a really rough night for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and not just because the Florida Panthers handed them a humbling 7-2 loss.

Now, that’s not to say that they weren’t angry about such a lopsided defeat.

“It’s definitely not acceptable,” Nazem Kadri said, according to The Athletic TO’s James Mirtle. “We’re not proud of that performance.”

This brutal stretch for Nikita Zaitsev felt like a good synopsis of Toronto’s night:

Again, though, it wasn’t just about the loss. Consider how scoreboard watching likely left the Leafs cringing:


  • The Islanders took the East’s second wild card spot after a big turnaround and overtime win.
  • Tampa Bay finishes the night ahead of Toronto, too, after managing an OT win of their own. The Senators grabbed a point in defeat there, too, which is unlikely to be relevant but doesn’t help matters.
  • The odds are against the Panthers even after this win, but they can more comfortably continue to at least dream of a playoff push after beating the Maple Leafs.

Yikes, that’s just no good.

If you’re more of a visual learner, consider how the Maple Leafs are now seated at 10th in the East:

Second wild card: Islanders - 77 points in 69 games (32 ROW, 33 W)

Lightning - 77 in 69 games (30 ROW, 34 W)
Maple Leafs - 76 in 68 games (30 ROW, 31 W)
Panthers - 71 in 68 games (26 ROW, 30 W)

No, the Maple Leafs aren’t hopeless by any stretch. Still, a win in this one could have really shaken away the Panthers while giving Toronto a pretty clear edge over the other bubble teams.

Instead, they finish the night in 10th in the conference and with a bit of a mess to clean up.