The wait for modern glory among Toronto Maple Leafs fans and the team’s backers at Ontario betting sites will drag on for another season.
But Sunday’s Game 7 playoff loss to the Florida Panthers was extra painful for the Leafs faithful because it was the most lopsided home loss in a winner-take-all playoff game in franchise history. In fact, it tied the record for the most lopsided NHL Game 7 home defeat ever. Here’s a closer look:
NHL Game 7 Biggest Home Losses
Season | Playoff Round | Score |
2024-25 | Second Round | Florida Panthers 6, at Toronto Maple Leafs 1 |
2015-16 | Second Round | St. Louis Blues 6, at Dallas Stars 1 |
2012-13 | First Round | New York Rangers 5, at Washington Capitals 0 |
2009-10 | First Round | Detroit Red Wings 6, at Phoenix Coyotes 1 |
1967-68 | First Round | Minnesota North Stars 9, at Los Angeles Kings 4 |
Keep track of Stanley Cup odds for the four remaining NHL playoff teams at OntarioBets.com.
Maple Leafs Game 7 Skid Hits Seven
The Toronto Maple Leafs are one of North America’s most storied professional sports franchises, with dozens of Hall of Famers and 13 Stanley Cups to their credit. They’re still second behind only the Montreal Canadiens for the most Stanley Cups.
None of which does any Leafs fans under the age of 60 any good today.
The franchise’s last championship was 1967, the last season of the “Original Six” before the league doubled from six to 12 teams. Since then, the Toronto Blue Jays (twice), Toronto Raptors and Toronto FC have come into existence and won championships. Ontario sports betting apps became legal and regulated. And the NHL has expanded to 32 teams.
The Maple Leafs’ trophy cabinet has not expanded at all. The team hasn’t even made a Stanley Cup final since 1967, never mind winning one.
Loss Joins Painful Pantheon of Worst Game 7s at Home
Give the Leafs this: They were consistent in their final two home games of the season. After taking a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series against Florida, Toronto dropped the next two on the road. Then in Game 5, the Leafs were routed 6-1 by the Panthers. After Toronto won Game 6 in Sunrise, 2-0, to force Game 7, coach Craig Berube’s team lost that one by the same score as Game 5.
They became the fifth NHL team ever to lose Game 7 by five goals at home. The Leafs also lost their seventh consecutive Game 7, going back more than 20 years. The last time Toronto won a Game 7 was in 2004, when they ousted province rival Ottawa in the first round (the Senators have a dubious streak of their own, having dropped all six of their Game 7s since the modern franchise launched in 1992-93).
What Is Ahead For Maple Leafs?
Now that Toronto Maple Leafs odds are no longer an immediate concern, what is?
Well, the team’s future and specifically salary cap concerns will be the talk of the T.O. in the offseason.
Several top players can become unrestricted free agents in the offseason, including John Tavares, Mitch Marner and promising youngster Matthew Knies. The leaguewide salary cap is projected to be $95.5 million USD for the 2025-26 season, but the Leafs already have big contracts committed for at least next season with Auston Matthews ($13.25 million cap hit), William Nylander ($11.5M), plus defensemen Morgan Rielly ($7.5M), Jake McCabe ($4.513M) and Chris Tanev ($4.5M).
Check out our Mitch Marner next team odds for a further look into some of the decisions that the franchise must make in the offseason.
USA Today photo by John E. Sokolowski
