TORONTO – Maple Leafs do not seem eager to make changes after another failure in the playoffs.
Toronto finished the regular schedule with franchise records for points and wins, but failed to advance to the postseason for the sixth year in a row after losing seven games to two-time Stanley Cup defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning.
The team met with the media on Tuesday and Leafs president Brendan Shanahan gave a vote of confidence to general manager Kyle Dubas and head coach Sheldon Keefe despite the disappointing result.
It also sounds like Toronto’s core of talented, expensive strikers, led by Austin Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares and William Nilander, will return in 2022-23 after the band took a step this season, but still could not overcome the hump of the playoffs.
The Leafs had Lightning on the ropes in Games 6 and 7 and now have a 0-9 over the last five post-seasons with a chance to eliminate an opponent.
Toronto has not won a playoff series since 2004.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on May 17, 2022.
Add Comment