5 things we learned from the Maple Leafs’ first-round loss to the Bruins

On Wednesday, the Toronto Maple Leafs were eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs by the Boston Bruins. Here are five things we learned from their defeat.

On Wednesday night, the Boston Bruins defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs by a score of 7-4 in Game 7 of their first-round series. It was a tough pill to swallow, especially considering the fact that the Leafs gave up leads of 1-0, 2-1 and 4-3 over the course of the game.

Much like 2013, the Leafs came back from a 3-1 deficit to force a Game 7 showdown for the ages in TD Garden. The chance to slay their dragon — the ghost of 2013’s Game 7 meltdown — was there. Instead, yet another painful meltdown in the third period was the central avenue through which the Buds were enveloped by the jaws of defeat. With this loss, the Leafs are now the only Canadian team to fail to win a series since the salary cap was introduced.

The circumstances, it seems, are all too familiar. But from the depths of defeat come valuable opportunities to reflect and grow. Here are 5 key ideas to ponder as the Leafs head into the offseason.

5. Plekanec played a huge role in this series

Going into the playoffs, the Tomas Plekanec deal was something of a contentious subject among Leafs fans. Obtained with prospect Kyle Baun from the Montreal Canadiens at the deadline in a trade that saw the Buds part ways with Kerby Rychel, Rinat Valiev and an upcoming second-round draft pick, Plekanec had struggled to find his game near the end of the regular season.

That all changed when he was left to fill Nazem Kadri’s spot. Following a suspension to the Leafs’ No. 2 center, Plekanec’s true value was tested in Game 3 of the series when he was left to do what he does best: shut star players down. Tasked to go head-to-head with the NHL’s top line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak, Plekanec made his opportunity count and was arguably the MVP of the game.

Plekanec went on to clock in big minutes for the rest of the series, as he quickly became one of Mike Babcock’s go-to players. Boston’s golden trio, for the most part, was almost entirely shut down. The league’s favorite turtleneck-bearer even recorded more points in seven games than he had during his tenure as a Leaf toward the end of the season.

Fans will debate management’s decision to sign the veteran forward — especially in light of the fact that it came at the cost of a second-rounder. (Sorry, Marlies fans, but Rychel and Valiev weren’t going to crack the Leafs’ lineup.) But to argue against Plekanec’s value in the Leafs’ push for Game 7 is to willingly ignore the role of strong two-way play. And while Marchand, Bergeron and Pastrnak all had goals in Game 7, a review of the highlights reveals that Plekanec could have arguably done more on just one of those plays.

Simply put, the Leafs would not have made it to the end of the series without Plekanec’s consistent game. If one has any doubt of his overarching importance (or is in need of a smile), recall Marchand’s infamous comments from 2014. Asked about his least favorite opponent to match up against, the Bruins’ star stated:

"Tomas Plekanec from Montreal…I hate him. I can’t stand him. No, I probably shouldn’t say that. I dislike him very much. Somebody is going to call and get mad at me tomorrow."

It’s a shame that Plekanec’s stay in Toronto was so short. But he played a huge part in giving Leafs fans something that they’ve long desired — a legitimate shot in a first-round series.