Leafs captain delivers solid quote about past playoff failures
April of 2004 is the last time the Leafs made it past the first round, defeating the Ottawa Senators in 7 games. Since, it has been a handful of disappointment for the Leafs in the post season. They've lost to the Bruins 3 times, Habs, Blue Jackets and Bolts in the first round since 2013. After a heartbreaking game 7 loss last year to Tampa, Kyle Dubas left no stone unturned as he solidified the Leafs' bottom six and blueline adding a handful of players with sandpaper, grit and physicality to match that of Tampa's.
Prior to taking the ice for their optional practice today, John Tavares was asked about the Leafs' past playoff failures and how he and the team are dealing with the pressures of this year's expectations.
"All we can is prepare for what's in front of us and the task at hand; Don't let the pressure outweigh the pleasure of the opportunity." -Tavares on not getting wrapped up in past failures
It's the same type of message that Tavares and the Leafs relayed last year before the series against Tampa, but the Leafs are much better equipped to battle the Bolts this year and should be able to dispatch the Bolts in the first round. We will see just how much the pressure gets to the Leafs on Tuesday night when puck drops for Game 1.
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