On Monday night, the Toronto Maple Leafs were part of an epic postseason collapse. A desperate team, already trailing the series, held a three-goal lead midway through the third and was cruising to victory when it all fell apart in utterly stunning fashion. Bad breaks, shaky goaltending, and dumb penalties all combined to open the door, and the result was one of the most heartbreaking losses in recent memory.
So far, no surprises. But here’s the twist: The Leafs won.
I know. I am also completely confused.
I’ve checked and double-checked the box score. I’ve run the numbers, and it keeps coming back with 5 being more than 4. I’m not completely sure that the NHL isn’t still reviewing the overtime goal and about to announce that Alex Kerfoot’s stick was high, but so far so good.
THE THING THAT ALWAYS HAPPENS TO US HAPPENED THE OTHER WAY
It’s the playoffs, everything is on the line, and the Toronto Maple Leafs… did good?
OK, they weren’t good all game, just like they weren’t in Game 3, but who cares. It’s the playoffs, there are no moral victories. No more style points, as a wise man once said. A win is a win, and this was a win for the ages.
But also, this makes absolutely no sense. And since part of my job is to dig for answers, I’m doing tonight’s reaction column in FAQ style. Let’s see if we can work through this together.
Q: Dude, what the hell was that?
A: I have no idea.
Q: Like… what?
A: WHAT?
Q: (question marks shooting out of head)
A: (exaggerated shrug emoji)
Editor: This isn’t even remotely useful.
A: Give me a break, I have zero recent experience with this sort of thing.
Q: OK, what actually happened?
A: For the half-dozen of you who haven’t already had all the details forced into your head whether you like it or not, here’s a quick summary. The Lightning outplayed the Leafs badly in the first, earning a 2-0 lead. Toronto looked better in the second, but by the time it was over Tampa was up 4-1. That felt like game over, and some of us may or may not have already written most of our “same old Leafs” columns by midway through the third. But Auston Matthews scored twice to give us a game, Morgan Rielly tied it with under four minutes to go, and the Lightning looked shellshocked. The Leafs kept up the pressure in overtime, and William Nylander drew a penalty. That led to this:
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Q: Wait, they called an overtime penalty? Are people going to be mad about that?
A: Probably, because it’s the playoffs. But Mikhail Sergachev basically dove at Nylander’s feet and arm-swiped his legs out, and it took away a strong scoring chance. It was a penalty. Lightning fans can be mad about it if they want because that’s what fans do, but anyone else will be faking it.
Q: So the Leafs didn’t just pull off a major comeback, but… it was 4-1?
A: Yes it was, just like in 2013, as more than a few people have pointed out. Well, not just like 2013, because that collapse in Boston came in Game 7 and ended the series. This one isn’t over yet.
Q: Not technically, but… it’s over, right?
A: I mean this very sincerely and respectfully: Shut up.
Q: Come on, nobody comes back from a collapse like this. The Lightning gave the Leafs their two best punches, lost twice in overtime, and now they look exhausted and defeated. The Leafs have this wrapped up.
A: As Wendel as my witness, I will end you.
Q: Plan the parade?
A: OK, let’s just be clear on this. Leafs fans are thrilled right now. They just witnessed one of the greatest comebacks in franchise history, and it was one that flipped all the tired (but accurate) narratives on their head. None of us will sleep for days. What we just watched was amazing, and we’ll tell our grandkids about it someday.
BUT! Not one single Maple Leafs fan thinks this series is over. Literally not one. They might be starting to think that the Leafs have turned a corner, or that things are finally different. They know that the odds when you’re up 3-1 are way better than 2-2 or worse. But every one of us also knows that it takes four wins to end a series, and three is not four, and there are lots of ways this could go wrong. If you meet a Leafs fan who can’t imagine this team still blowing it, be very gentle with them because they are a newborn baby.
A: There’s an extra day before Game 5, and in theory that maybe hurts the Leafs because they have momentum and the Lightning looked tired as Game 4 went on. But it’s probably for the best as far as the fan base, since it gives everyone a day to just freak out and watch Steve Dangle clips on repeat before settling down and getting back into game mode.
Of course, it also means an extra day for everyone to dig up the old stories and stats. I’ll save you the trouble on the big one: In the Matthews era, the Maple Leafs are 0-for-9 in games where a win would end a series. Two of those losses came last year to Tampa; three of them have been in overtime, literally one goal away. Now they’ll either make it an even dozen, or finally get the win that gets them out of the first round.
Thursday night in Toronto will be something else. It’s going to be loud. It might only be loud for however long it takes for the Lightning to score and make it 1-0, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.
Q: Don’t you mean “if” we get there?
A: Yeah, sorry. Like I said, I kind of forgot how all this stuff works.
Q: Before we wrap up, do you want to take off the fanboy hat and take any kind of stab at actual objective analysis?
A: Not really, thanks.
Editor: Do it anyway.
A: Fine.
The Leafs got their butts kicked on home ice in Game 1 because they didn’t show up on time, and that could happen again on Thursday. They were outplayed for almost all of Game 3 and at least the first half of Game 4, and probably didn’t deserve to come out of Tampa with both wins. Even Game 2, their one unequivocally good game, came without Victor Hedman playing. The Lightning are proud champions, they’re very good, their key players have another level to get to, and we’re all expecting their best game on Thursday.
And let’s not forget, the Leafs’ big problem over the years has been their almost obsessive need to pat themselves on the back and ease off the gas pedal whenever anything even vaguely good happens, including when they pulled off an equally wild comeback against the Blue Jackets. Now they’re going to hear about how great they are for two days. This isn’t over.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kevin Lankinen made 26 saves for his fourth career shutout and the Vancouver Canucks beat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-0 on Saturday night.
Nils Hoglander, Brock Boeser and Kyle Sherwood scored for the Canucks, who spoiled Philadelphia’s home opener and the first NHL home game for top Flyers’ prospects Matvei Michkov and Jett Luchanko.
The Canucks controlled play for most of the game and took advantage of Philadelphia’s defensive breakdowns for a pair of goals.
Samuel Ersson made 29 saves for Philadelphia, which lost its fourth consecutive game (0-3-1) after winning its season opener against the Canucks in Vancouver.
TAKEAWAYS
Canucks: Tyler Myers picked up an assist on a nifty, no-look pass to Boeser. It was Myers’ 1,000th NHL game. Myers also had three shots on goal, blocked a pair of shots, finished the game plus-1 and led the Canucks in total time on ice at 21:54.
Flyers: In another milestone game, Philadelphia captain Sean Couturier played in his 800th career game. However, the veteran centre was demoted to the fourth line and on the left wing by coach John Tortorella before the game. Once the Flyers fell behind 3-0, Couturier was shifted back to centre, but he couldn’t spark the team’s offence.
KEY MOMENT
Vancouver scored twice in 50 seconds in the second period to pull away. Sherwood’s goal was a one-timer off a faceoff win by Teddy Blueger to make it 3-0.
KEY STAT
Minus 11, the Flyers’ goal differential in five games this season at even strength. Through five games they have now been outscored 17-6 at five-on-five. All three of Vancouver’s goals on Saturday were at even strength.
UP NEXT
Canucks: Visit the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night.
NEW YORK (AP) — Noah Dobson scored in the ninth round of the shootout to lead the New York Islanders to a 4-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night.
Bo Horvat, Kyle Palmieri and Anders Lee scored in regulation for the Islanders, and Dobson had two assists. Semyon Varlamov finished with 21 saves.
Cole Caulfield had two goals and Logan Mailloux also scored for Montreal. Cayden Primeau made 33 saves.
Palmieri and Simon Holmstron also scored for the Islanders in the shootout, and Oliver Kapanen and Emil Heineman tallied for Montreal.
Caufield forced overtime with 2:10 left in regulation to tie the score 3-3. It came 2:26 after Lee gave the Islanders the lead.
TAKEAWAYS
Canadiens: Mailloux scored his first NHL goal 59 seconds into the second period to tie the game 2-2.
Islanders: Entering the game, the Islanders’ 33 shots per game ranked third in the NHL but their average of 2.5 goals per game was 27th in the league. Horvat and Palmieri scored 2:26 apart late in the first period to give New York a 2-0 lead.
KEY MOMENT
Varlamov’s glove save on Caufield’s breakaway 5:44 into the second period kept the score tied 2-2.
KEY STAT
New York limited Montreal to 24 shots in the win. Through their first four games before Saturday night, the Islanders had held opponents to 29.3 shots per game, which was 13th in the NHL.
UP NEXT
Canadiens: Host the New York Rangers on Tuesday night.
Islanders: Host the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Former U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland finished 54 holes of the wind-delayed Shriners Children’s Open knowing he’ll have his best chance at winning since brain surgery more than a year ago. Best of all Saturday was being finished.
Woodland had three birdies over his final six holes and extended his bogey-free streak to 28 holes in polishing off a 6-under 65 that gave him a share of the clubhouse lead with Las Vegas resident Kurt Kitayama, who also had a 65.
They trailed J.T. Poston and Doug Ghim by one shot when play was suspended by darkness. Thirty of the 66 players who made the cut earlier Saturday did not finish.
Poston had an eagle during his closing stretch of the second round for a 65, and his only sub-par hole in the third round was an eagle on the par-5 ninth. It put him at 15-under par through 13 holes. Also at 15 under was Ghim, who had four straight birdies and was facing a five-foot par putt on the 17th hole when it was too dark to continue.
Woodland had surgery in September 2023 to remove a lesion on his brain, situated on a tract that caused fear and anxiety. It’s been a long road back of making progress with his health, getting dialed in on the right medication and trying to get his game in order.
He also went back to Randy Smith, the PGA Hall of Fame swing coach in Dallas. Now Woodland is sensing the pieces coming back together.
“I feel a lot better for one,” Woodland said. “That’s a huge help. But I’ve seen some signs. I’ve been back with Randy Smith for a couple months now. I am starting to drive it better, iron play, controlling the golf ball like I haven’t in a long time, which is nice. Then putts start going in, start putting some good scores up.
“I’m excited and happy to be here — and really happy to finish tonight so I can get some sleep tomorrow.”
The third round was to resume at 8 a.m., and Woodland likely will start around 11 a.m. That beats getting up before dawn, which he already has had to do twice this week.
Next to be determined is where he stands.
Harris English and Alejandro Tosti of Argentina also were at 14 under with four holes to play, including the reachable par 4 and the easiest of the three par 5s. Six other players were at 13 under and still had holes to play.
Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., only completed 13 holes on Saturday and sits two shots back of the leaders. Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., is tied for 44th at 5 under. Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., is tied for 61st at 3 under.
The wind has calmed substantially from Friday, when gusts approached 50 miles per hour and led to a four-hour delay that caused the stop-and-start and the last two days being suspended because of darkness. A TPC Summerlin course that was all about hanging on is now back to being a test of who can make the most birdies.
“Conditions will be pretty easy. I think you saw that with some of the scores,” Poston said. “Guys are making birdies. So I think it’s just trying to stay aggressive but also stay patient if the putts don’t fall early because there is a lot of holes left.”
The second round didn’t end until about noon Saturday and the cut was at 3-under 139. Among those who missed was Tom Kim, the two-time defending champion who was trying to become the first player since Steve Stricker at the John Deere Classic (2009-11) to win the same PGA Tour event three straight years.
Also missing the cut were the three winners in the FedEx Cup Fall — Patton Kizzire, Kevin Yu and Matt McCarty.
