As the first round of the playoffs draws to a close, it’s time to examine the unexpected twists that occurred. While some teams will be rightfully moving on, many events have caused disappointments for competing teams and their fanbase. Injuries, struggling stars, and subpar team play have been the cause for letdowns in Round 1. Here are a few noticeable upsets that pained the clubs that won’t be making it to the second round. Did the Game 7 loss by the Toronto Maple Leafs top the list of 2024 NHL Playoffs first-round letdowns? Or, does that honor go to someone else?
Ovechkin Held Off Scoresheet In 2024 NHL Playoffs
At the start of the season, Alex Ovechkin struggled with goal-scoring. In the first 43 games of the season the Washington Capitals’ captain had only registered eight goals. He was still producing at a fair pace putting up 29 points in that span. It still seemed like Ovechkin’s age was starting to catch up to him. Washington was still in the race for a playoff spot, but making it seemed like a reach at that point. By the end of the month of January, the Russian star completely turned it around. He scored in six games in a row almost doubling his season goal totals. A month and a half later, he recorded eight goals in a span of five games. The offensive contribution Ovechkin had in the second half of the season helped the team clinch a playoff spot. Unfortunately for Washington, the team had to face off against the Presidents’ trophy-winning New York Rangers. The Capitals were swept by New York in a predictable matchup. Ovechkin was held off the scoresheet for every game. He scored no points and generated five shots in those four games.
Dubois Remains Unimpactful After Disappointing Season
In the summer of 2023, the Los Angeles Kings made a huge trade with the Winnipeg Jets, acquiring Pierre-Luc Dubois. Like all three meetings prior, the Kings to the Oilers. The 2016 third-overall pick has already played for three NHL teams, after demanding a trade twice. Character is an important attribute of this sport and many times Dubois’ has been questionable.The irony is that Vilardi and Dubois are basically the same height, weight, and age. Before the trade, Vilardi was just starting to break out in Los Angeles. It seems that the big physical scoring center they were looking for was right there in their system. Jets Defense Blow Opportunity For Deep Run The Winnipeg Jets faced off against one of the best offensive teams in the past few years in the Colorado Avalanche. Connor Hellebuyck, a Vezina nominee, couldn’t keep pucks out of his net, mostly due to turnovers from his teammates. The Avalanche did generate offense with ease. The Jets finished fourth in league standings, but failed to have more than one playoff win, in which they allowed six goals. Questions now surround the future of coach Rick Bowness. He left it unclear whether he would return to the Jets next season. He has an option in his contract, but it’s not clear given his personal-life struggles last season if he’ll pick it up.
Maple Leafs Top Letdowns List
The Maple Leafs started the playoffs without star forward William Nylander, as he suffered from migraines. He later revealed his headaches were so bad he couldn’t really see. Toronto did manage to win game two in Boston without their 98-point player but they clearly missed him. One week after the first week of the playoffs, the NHL’s top goal scorer in Auston Matthews was out with an unknown illness. Matthews was held out of the lineup in games five and six, finally returning for Game 7, which Toronto lost in overtime. As expected, questions now surround the future of the roster. All four of Matthews, Nylander, Tavares, and Marner have no-move clauses, while the team has nearly a dozen UFAs and RFAs to make decisions on. There’s also talk about the future of the coaching staff, especially after Sheldon Keefe made comments that Toronto can’t find a way not to beat themselves.
