vs Carolina

Only the Maple Leafs could find a way to make a multi-goal lead feel like a slow-motion car crash. William Nylander looked like the best player on earth with two goals, and when Auston Matthews padded the lead to 4-2, I almost fell for it. I almost believed. Even John Tavares scored during that high-scoring opening frame, providing just enough dopamine to make the eventual collapse feel like a warm, familiar hug from a ghost.

Of course, it’s hard to win when the defensive game plan is apparently to let the opposition treat the zone like a wide-open shooting gallery. Being outshot 47 to 20 is a bold strategy, and it paid off exactly how the history books suggested it would. Watching Sean Walker, Taylor Hall, and Logan Stankoven march through the coverage to erase the lead was a vintage experience. It’s comforting, really; while the rest of the world changes, we can always count on the Leafs to turn a two-goal cushion into another reason to stare blankly at the ceiling.