LEAF NOTES: Game 7 gets away again on Toronto

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Seven contiues to be an unlucky number for the Maple Leafs in spring time.

For a seventh Game 7 since 2013, they were on the wrong side of the deciding game, with a 6-1 loss to Florida on Sunday denying then a berth in the Eastern Conference final.

“I thought we were ready to play, that we were in a good mindset,” said captain Auston Matthews.

Florida continued a trend of Game 7 winners in NHL history by scoring the crucial first goal. They became the 151st team in 201 Game 7’s to stroke first and carry that momentum to victory. But the scoring didn’t stop as the Leafs wound up matching the largest margin of defeat in a Game 7, a far cry from last year’s 2-1 overtime loss in Boston.

Florida also bucked the odds of a road team winning a Game 7, just the 83rd against 118 victories by the home side.

BUILT TO LAST

Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk was playing up the defending Stanley Cup champions’ Game 7 credentials on Sunday morning.

.After winning the Cup in such a manner after nearly blowing a 3-0 lead to Edmonton last year, Tkachuk predicted the steady stream of hits directed at the Leafs since Game 1 would wear down the Buds.

“Our game is built for this,” Tkachuk said. “We talk about it all year, we talk from training camp – ‘what are you going to do to build yourself for Game 7?’

“It’s finally here and we get to show that off tonight. Who cares how we got here? Up two, down one. It’s a one-game showdown.

“The guys who have success in Game 7’s are those not afraid to make a play.”

MARCHAND MOWS LEAFS AGAIN

It would’ve been easy for Brad Marchand to gloat after winning his fifth Game 7 against Toronto, the previous four with Boston.

But the long-time Leaf nemesis insisted he grew up a Toronto fan in Nova Scotia and while he enjoys taking the mickey out of their fans, he had empathy for what their players will go through in coming days. He insisted the Leafs are a much better team than a couple of years ago.

“They’re going to get crucified and it’s not justified,” he said after two assists in Sunday and an empty net goal..

Coach Paul Maurice, who defeated the Leafs a third time in a playoff series since 2002, also offered some support.

“What’s great for the league is hard on the Leafs and their players. The passion for the Leafs, the scrutiny these men are under, is why everybody else gets paid so much. It’s a driver. But there’s a cost for these guys, for their families.

“It’s going to be rough on them. You go through a whole bunch of things that aren’t wrong, but they’re wrong because they lost. This is a much better team than we played two years ago, much better. So you’re going to assign a whole bunch of character flaws that aren’t true.”

Maurice was flabbergasted that Marchand had been in 13 Game 7’s.

“My god, that’s awesome, that’s crazy. As you get older you will appreciate (such moments). There’s not 13 more for him, though that would be impressive. Those players understand, you get to go have a (vital) game. Nobody ever in the back of the room says ‘hey, it’s Game 3’.”

DOWN A ZEBRA

The start of Sunday’s second period was delayed after referee Chris Rooney was badly above his eye. The league does keep an extra official on standby and Garrett Rank joined Jean Hebert for the balance of the game.

The league issued a statement that Ronney was “doing well” after the athletic therapists from both the Leafs and Panthers attended to him on ice. The only penalty called in the game was a bench minor to the Leafs for too many men.

Lhornby@postmedia.com 

X: @sunhornby