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The Toronto Maple Leafs sure made it interesting, didn't they? Hockey fans worldwide waited with anticipation as the Maple Leafs slowly started to relinquish their 3-0 stranglehold on the series. After the Ottawa Senators won Games 4 and 5, the consensus was that these perennial chokers in Toronto were about to do it again. However, the Maple Leafs got the job done in Game 6 with a possible nightmare Game 7 looming.
The Senators deserve to be proud of their performance. The Maple Leafs won in overtime in Games 2 and 3, but those games could've easily gone the other way. Ottawa's early 3-0 deficit made the series seem more lopsided than it was, and their heart to win the next two games was commendable.
It's the first playoff appearance for this young core in Ottawa. This year didn't go their way, but the experience gained over the six games will serve them well. The power balance is starting to shift in the Atlantic Division, and the Senators are a big part of it. The Boston Bruins look bad for the first time in nearly two decades, and the Montreal Canadiens joined the Senators for their first playoff appearance in four seasons.
The Senators will be back next season, and some might argue the Leafs are in a worse position. It could be their last season with Mitch Marner, and what will happen in the next round remains to be seen. If the Florida Panthers dominate the Leafs in the second round, like many expect them to, Toronto could undergo massive changes in the offseason.
Nevertheless, as it often goes in sports, someone must take the blame for a loss. Let's look at the Senators' most to blame for their first-round loss to the Maple Leafs.
Linus Ullmark tried to save the series for Senators
Linus Ullmark wore the goat horns during the series' first three games. His performance was so bad that it made the brutal return for the Bruins in last season's trade not look as bad. In a season where the decision to move on from Ullmark and keep Jeremy Swayman looked like a mistake, Don Sweeney finally looked justified as Ullmark's career playoff struggles continued.
Ullmark allowed 12 goals on 65 shots through the first three games. The Senators' sad reality was that their defense was excellently suppressing shots against the Leafs' high-powered offense. To allow only 65 shots in three games when two of those games went to overtime is no small feat. However, Ullmark couldn't find a way to shut the door and steal his team's victory. Two of the overtime goals were weak, which didn't make it any easier for Ottawa to deal with.
Ullmark proved some doubters wrong when he stopped 31 of 34 shots in Game 4 and had a 29-save shutout in Game 5. The problem is that it's hard to crawl back out of it when you dig your team into a three-game hole. The only way Ullmark would've made up for his issues is if he found a way to rally to win in seven, which ultimately didn't happen.
Ullmark's two bounce-back games show he can lead the Senators in the playoffs. The only thing Ottawa must see now is more consistency and an ability to get the team a lead in the series. It's easy to perform well when no one expects you to win down 3-0, but a true leader would ensure their team doesn't get in that hole.
Tim Stutzle's inconsistencies were the downfall
Tim Stutzle's series wasn't much different than Ullmark's. His Game 5 showed the best parts of his game, where he tallied one goal and two assists to lead the offense to a 4-0 victory. Stutzle and Ullmark teamed up to get them to the crucial Game 6, but it was four games too late for the German star.
Stutzle started the series with just one assist over the first three games. He managed to get some shots on the net and create a couple of opportunities, but he was quiet for most of it. The Senators needed much more out of him to steal a win or two over the first three games.
It shows how thin a margin there was between these two teams. The Senators lost two of those games in overtime, with one of their top offensive players registering just one assist. If Stutzle had been better, maybe Ottawa would have won one of those overtime games before regulation ended.
It's unfortunate for the Senators, but it's all part of the growing pains as they try to become contenders in the Eastern Conference.
