@ Dallas

Another clinic in the fine art of outshooting an opponent only to get absolutely throttled on the scoreboard. Watching Jason Robertson open the scoring late in the first period felt like the beginning of a very predictable movie where the protagonist ends up face-down in a puddle. The script never changes, and yet, like a glutton for punishment, the television stays on and the hope remains inexplicably intact.

Sam Steel doubling the lead in the third was the wake-up call nobody wanted, but Scott Laughton’s goal a few minutes later was the real cruelty. It provided that tiny, flickering candle of hope that usually results in a burnt house. Naturally, Jamie Benn snuffed that flame out almost immediately, followed by Mavrik Bourque and Justin Hryckowian turning a respectable loss into a full-blown Texas-sized blowout while the defense seemingly checked out early to beat the traffic.

Finishing with 28 shots to their 22 and losing by four goals is the kind of math only a Leafs fan can truly understand. It’s a special talent to control the puck and still find a way to let a guy like Hryckowian put the final nail in the coffin with seconds remaining. At this point, the blue and white jersey is basically a weighted blanket, and the only thing more reliable than a third-period collapse is the unwavering, delusional belief that the next game will surely be different.