April 2: On this day in 1969…
On this day in 1969, the Boston Bruins defeated the Leafs by a sorry score of 10-0 in Game 1 of their best of seven Quarter Final playoff series. It was one of the worst playoff annihilations of all time. Phil Esposito had four goals and the Bruins set a playoff record that has never been equalled with six power play goals. The Bruins went on to win the series in 4 straight games, outscoring the Leafs 24-5. Leaf fans have been accustomed to being humiliated for a long time. For some reason, it doesn’t seem to bother them.
April 1: On this day in 1988…
On this day in 1988, the Leafs lost 7-3 to the Red Wings and set a new team record of desperation by losing their 11th consecutive game on the road. Mercifully, this was their last road game of the 1987-88 schedule. Otherwise, who knows how long the streak would have lasted. The awful Laffs of 1987-88 won just 7 games out of 40 away from home. It’s easy to see how other teams got excited when the Laffs came to town.
