Leafs fans latched onto Chris Chelios ripping the refs but it's just another excuse for falling flat

Another spring is here, and the Toronto Maple Leafs already look “poised” for another disappointing postseason showing.

After taking their lumps in the form of a 7-3 blowout loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 — thoroughly demoralizing their hometown fans — the Leafs would do well to do some soul-searching before this first-round series gets away from them.

Blaming the officiating, no matter how horrible, but it’s just an excuse for what is Toronto precedent in the playoffs by now. This sentiment holds true even if it’s a legend like Chris Chelios — who analyzed the game in ESPN’s studio — ripping awful work by the referees.

Chris Chelios on ESPN

“Absolutely terrible officiating. Worst in a while”

— Adam Seaborn (@AHBSeaborn) April 19, 2023

Was there a massive disparity in calls? Sure. Tampa Bay had eight power play opportunities to Toronto’s four, and the Lightning scored on four of those chances.

But the Leafs were clearly on their heels from the jump. The Leafs were the ones who, as usual, were pressing. A 3-0 early deficit is more in line with how Toronto has approached the postseason meekly than it is the officiating favoring the Lightning outright.

It’s a poor way of rationalizing the Leafs laying a giant egg. And if any of the players latch onto this thought process themselves, then Toronto will likely have no chance of battling back and finally advancing to the second round for the first time in almost two decades.

It’s the oldest excuse in the book.