We didn t close, said forward Wayne Simmonds. I think good teams, when they smell blood, they finish (opponents) off right away.
Many players who appeared on Wednesday s season-ending media availability mentioned not starting on time in some playoff games, a reference to a lack of urgency from puck drop. The Maple Leafs did well to force OT in both games before the decider, but had difficulty playing at a consistent pace for a full 60 minutes.
It was the fifth straight year that the Maple Leafs failed to make it out of the opening round. Playoff expectations were higher this time around after Toronto finished first in the North Division standings.
Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan sounded an optimistic tone about the team's future Wednesday as the players searched for answers after coming up painfully short in the playoffs despite a strong regular season.
Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens knotted at zeroes after 1st period tsn.ca - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from tsn.ca Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.