Leafs

But the Leafs quickly proved they weren't intimidated and wouldn't back down from any opponent. They won their first game of the season against a strong Montreal team in a raucous Bell Centre, and later went on to beat teams such as Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Buffalo, something that was near impossible in previous seasons. After being projected... to finish between 10th and 15th, having sole possession of 5th place and clinching a playoff spot came as a shock to many, and would be a tall order for any team. When it was confirmed that the Leafs would play the Bruins, a very skilled, experienced team only two years from winning the Stanley Cup who the Leafs could not seem to solve, one would be hard-pressed to find a fan who thought that the Leafs would be able to win a single game in the series, let alone advance to the second round. But it was soon evident that they weren't going down without a fight. They evened up the series before heading back to Toronto, and after losing their second game at home in which they were up 2-0, they pulled off a huge win in Boston while down 3-1 in the series, forcing a 6th game. The Leafs had a strong start in Game 6 and arguably played one of their best games of the season, beating the Bruins 2-1 and securing Game 7 in Boston. Its extremely rare for any team to be able to extend a series to seven games after being down 3-1, let alone a young, inexperienced team like the Leafs with only a handful of players who have previous playoff experience. Although Leaf fans will continue to wonder, "what if? and loom over the fact that they were so close from what was an extremely unlikely spot in the second round, they should not feel let down or frustrated, but should instead feel proud and excited for the future. The Leafs proved that with all the odds against them, they can compete with the best in the league. Disappointment isn't something foreign to Leaf fans, and the day after being eliminated from a tough series is filled with many things to be disappointed about. But for the ...Read More