Maple Leafs loss another rough night for team wearing blue

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For the second straight night, there was a collapse of a team wearing blue thanks to a team that wears red.

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Nobody said winning is easy. Especially when you have a lead.

But unlike the federal Conservative party, which lost the election to the Liberals on Monday, the Toronto Maple Leafs still have a chance to stop an all-out collapse of their opening round series against the Ottawa Senators when Game 6 shifts to the nation’s capital on Thursday.

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But it’s starting to have that feel to it. Leafs Nation is worried.

After the Atlantic Division champion Leafs went up 3-0 in the first-round series, the Sens have climbed back into it by winning the last two games to chisel Toronto’s lead to 3-2.

This game kind of felt like Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre losing in his own riding, which is a quick zip down the road from the Senators’ home rink. The Leafs should have been able to take care of business on their own turf, but were just beaten by a team that wanted it even more.

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Now it goes back to Ottawa for Game 6. And if the Sens can win it at home, it’s back to Toronto for Game 7 on Saturday.

So much for a big lead meaning anything in politics and sports.

On the more positive side, a great crowd was jammed into Maple Leaf Square despite being temporarily evacuated due to a passing storm. They just wanted something to cheer for the whole night. The thing they got to be most excited about was when T-shirts were given away before the game.

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Conservatives know that feeling from less than 24 hours before.

But on this night, the Leafs would be skunked. A shutout. Fans could be heard booing on the jumbotron and fans outside left early.

But like with the Conservative loss, there were some positives with the Leafs’ performance. They battled hard, had some shots and didn’t quit.

But now the pressure is on. They don’t want to choke. Lose the next game and that will be the city’s biggest fear.

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