Maple Leafs eliminated from playoffs due to vanishing offense, power play

TORONTO -- The Toronto Maple Leafs were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Boston Bruins with a 2-1 overtime loss in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference First Round on Saturday.

It was the Maple Leafs' fourth straight loss in a Game 7 against the Bruins (2013, 2018, 2019) and sixth straight overall (2013, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022). They also lost the deciding Game 5 of the 2020 Stanley Cup Qualifiers to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The last time they won a series-deciding game was 4-1 against the Ottawa Senators in Game 7 of the 2004 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

Toronto (46-26-10) qualified for the playoffs as the No. 3 seed in the Atlantic Division and has made the playoffs in each of the past eight seasons.

The Skinny

Potential unrestricted free agents: Tyler Bertuzzi, F; Max Domi, F; TJ Brodie, D; Joel Edmundson, D; Mark Giordano, D; Ilya Lyubushkin, D; Jake Muzzin, D; John Klingberg, D; Ilya Samsonov, G; Martin Jones, G; Matt Murray, G

Potential restricted free agents: Connor Dewar, F; Nicholas Robertson, F; Noah Gregor, F; Timothy Liljegren, D

Potential 2024 Draft picks: 7

Here are five reasons the Maple Leafs were eliminated:

1. Home-ice disadvantage

The Maple Leafs were unable to turn Scotiabank Arena into a difficult place to play, having lost six in a row on home ice since a 7-2 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 2 of the 2023 first round. They ended the losing streak with a 2-1 victory in Game 6 of this series.

2. Vanishing offense

The Maple Leafs scored 298 goals in the regular season, second in the NHL to the Colorado Avalanche (302), but again could not carry the same prowess through to the playoffs. Just once in their past 14 postseason games have they scored more than two goals in a game, when they defeated the Bruins 3-2 in Game 2 of this series. They scored one goal in Game 7, by William Nylander at 9:01 of the third period.

3. Powerless power play

The Maple Leafs were 1-for-21 on the power play (4.8 percent) in the series after they were seventh in the regular season (24.0 percent). They failed on their lone chance in Game 7 at 4:36 of the second period, when Bruins forward Charlie Coyle went off for cross-checking. At crucial times, the power play did not deliver.

4. Key personnel unavailable

Auston Matthews had NHL career highs of 69 goals and 107 points, and Nylander had 98 points (40 goals, 58 assists).

Nylander did not practice the day prior to Game 1 and said after Game 7 he missed the first three games because of migraines that gave him blurred vision. Matthews had a goal and two assists in Game 2 but missed the morning skate ahead of Game 3, and coach Sheldon Keefe said he was removed by doctors before the third period of Game 4. He played Game 7 after missing Games 5 and 6 and had one assist in 17:35 of ice time.

Goalie Joseph Woll was a late scratch in Game 7 with an undisclosed injury. He stopped 49 of 51 shots in wins in Games 5 and 6.

5. Depth scoring

Depth scoring can tip the scale in a team's favor when offense is difficult to come by. Toronto had just two goals from outside its top-six forwards: David Kampf in Game 1 and Jake McCabe in Game 5.