http://www.torontosun.com/sports/hoc.../17889056.html
The Maple Leafs’ unlikely playoff chase is through.
Now it’s six months off to use the lessons of 2010-11 for a legitimate run at a playoff spot with a deeper team and not just another of their recent late-season teases.
Taking the Washington Capitals to overtime Tuesday night in an eventual 3-2 shootout loss became meaningless when the Buffalo Sabres held off Tampa Bay down the QEW to ensure the Leafs could not get to eighth place.
“I saw that score out of the corner of my eye,” said goalie James Reimer, who faced the out-of-town scoreboard, when not dealing with 41 Caps shots in 65 minutes and four more in the shootout. “I didn’t know if I saw it right and I didn’t want to look again.
“We could’ve packed it in right there, the season’s over and said ‘screw this, the season’s over’. But that showed a lot of character on our part tonight that we controlled the overtime. It showed a lot about our team and I’m proud of the guys.”
The loss sidelines the Leafs a sixth straight spring, but this time there’s reason to believe it wasn’t a blip when the playoff pressure was off.