Toronto Maple Leafs fans live in a very specific sports hell no one else can even begin to comprehend.
Sure, the Detroit Lions lay claim to the title of the most miserable sports franchise of our modern era. But the difference between the Lions and the Maple Leafs is that Toronto wins, but never when it matters.
On Saturday, the Maple Leafs bowed out in Game 7 of the first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs. They did so against the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions in the Tampa Bay Lightning in a hard-fought 2-1 loss. While the Maple Leafs didn’t utterly embarrass themselves in this series, it’s still a real heartbreaker of a loss to take because Toronto were in it until the bitter end.
The loss also marks a nearly unbelievable statistic that showcases just how miserable of a time the Maple Leafs have had in recent history. The Maple Leafs are the first team in the history of the NHL, MLB, and NBA to lose five-straight elimination games in the first round.
The Maple Leafs are the first team in MLB/NBA/NHL history to lose a winner-take-all game in the opening round of the playoffs 5 years in a row.
— Stats By STATS (@StatsBySTATS) May 15, 2022
Let’s take a jump back in time, shall we?
- 2017–18: Lost in Game 7 to the Boston Bruins in the first round.
- 2018–19: Lost in Game 7 to the Boston Bruins in the first round.
- 2019–20: Lost in Game 5 to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the qualifying round.
- 2020-21: Lost in Game 7 to the Montreal Canadiens in the first round.
- 2021-22: Lost in Game 7 to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round.
It doesn’t get more gut-wrenching than that, honestly. The last time the Maple Leafs got out of the first round? The 2003–04 season, nearly 20 years ago! So, if you can, spare a thought or two for any Maple Leafs fans in your life. They certainly need it right now.
