TML Historical Moments By Year 1957-58 to 1976-77

1957/58: The Maple Leafs hit rock bottom finishing in last place with an awful  21-38-11 record.

1958/59: Despite another losing season with a record of 27-32-11, the Maple Leafs sneak into the playoffs by finishing 1 point better then the New York Rangers.

1959/60: In hopes to give their team new punch, the Maple Leafs hire anew coach named Punch Imlach. The move worked as the Leafs finished in 2nd place with a solid 35-26-9 record. In the playoffs the Leafs would get back to the finals for the first time in 9 years by beating the Detroit Red Wings in 6 games. However the Maple Leafs are dominated by the Montreal Canadiens, who win their record 5th straight Stanley Cup by sweeping the Maple Leafs in 4 straight outscoring them 15-5.

1960/61: The Maple Leafs lose a furious battle for first place settling for 2nd place with a solid 39-19-12 record. However, in the playoffs the Leafs would be stunned by the Detroit Red Wings losing 4 straight after winning the series opener in overtime.

1961/62: The Maple Leafs put together another solid season finishing in 2nd place with a solid 39-19-12 record. In the semifinals the Maple Leafs would find themselves in a struggle against a sub .500 New York Rangers team as the series was tied after 4 games. In Game 5 the Leafs would survive an overtime battle to take a 3-2 series lead. The Leafs would go on to put away the pesky Rangers with a 7-1 win in Gam6. Moving on to the finals the Leafs would take control of the series in Game 5, with an 8-4 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Three nights later the Maple Leafs would win the Stanley Cup with a 2-1 win in Chicago. The Cup victory would end up being the final one for longtime Leafs president Conn Smythe, who sold the franchise to Harold Ballard following the season.

1962/63: The Maple Leafs end the season in first place in a jumbled NHL that saw the top 4 teams finish with in 8 points, with a 35-23-12 record. In the playoffs the Maple Leafs would survive a hard fought 7-game battle with Montreal Canadiens to make a return trip to the finals. In the finals the Maple Leafs would knock off the Detroit Red Wings in 5 games, holding the high scoring Wings to 10 goals n 5 games. In the clinching 5th game the Leafs Dave Keon would tally 2 shorthanded goals in the 3-1 Cup clinching win.

1963/64: In their quest for a 3rd straight Stanley Cup Championship the Maple Leafs would finish in 3rd place with a 33-25-12 record. In the playoffs the Leafs would turn it up a notch knocking off the Montreal Canadiens in 5 games. In the finals the Leafs would face the Detroit Red Wings in a classic 7-game battle. In the first 3 games the winning goal was scored in the last minute of play as the Wings held a 2-1 series lead. After splitting the next 2 games the Leafs faced elimination in Detroit for Game 6. The Leafs would force a 7th game when Bobby Baun playing with an ankle sprained from a Gordie Howe slapshot scored the winning goal in overtime. Bran would manage to play all of Game 7 without missing a shift as the Leafs won the Stanley Cup for the 3rd year in a row with a 4-0 win.

1964/65: The Maple Leafs finish in 4th place in their quest for a 4th straight Stanley Cup Championship, with a 30-26-14 record. In the playoffs the Leafs championship reign would end with an overtime loss in Game 6 of the semifinals to the Montreal Canadiens.

1965/66: The Maple Leafs continue to be a playoff regular by finishing in 3rd place with a solid 34-25-11 record. However, in the playoffs the Leafs are swept away in 4 straight by the Montreal Canadiens.

1966/67: With an aging team whose average age was over 31 the Maple Leafs make the playoffs again by finishing in 3rd place with a 32-27-11 record, in the final year the NHL played with just 6 teams. In the playoffs the Leafs would get back to the Stanley Cup Finals by beating the Chicago Blackhawks in 6 games. In the finals Dave Keon was the star on defense and offense as the Leafs won their 13th Stanley Cup by beating the Montreal Canadiens in 6 games. Keon would earn honors as the Playoff MVP, which carried the name of the Maple Leafs great patriarch Conn Smythe. Little did anyone know at the time the Maple Leafs would not make another Cup final during the century.

1967/68: Playing in the Eastern Division with the other original 6 teams the Maple Leafs would miss the playoffs despite finishing with a 33-31-10 record that was better then any of the 6 expansion teams that were in the Western Division.

1968/69: The Maple Leafs return to the playoffs by finishing in 4th place with a 35-26-15 record. However, the Leafs are blown away in the playoffs losing 4 straight to the Boston Bruins by a combined score of 24-5.

1969/70: With new Coach John McLain, the Maple Leafs play without punch and land in last place by finishing with a disappointing 29-34-12 record. The season would be a strange one for the NHL as no Canadian teams participated in the playoffs.

1970/71: The Maple Leafs return to the playoffs by finishing in 4th place with a 37-33-8 record. However, their playoffs would end quickly as they blew a 2-1 series lead losing in 6 games to the New York Rangers.

1971/72: The Maple Leafs emerge from battle for the final playoff spot holding the Detroit Red Wings off by 4 points with a 33-31-14 record. In the playoffs the Leafs are dusted away quickly loosing to the Boston Bruins in 5 games.

1972/73: The Maple Leafs never quite get it going missing the playoffs by finishing in 6th place with a disappointing 27-41-10 record.

1973/74: The Maple Leafs would make it back into the playoffs by finishing in 4th place with a decent 35-27-16 record. However, their playoff run is end quickly as they are swept away by the Boston Bruins in 4 straight.

1974/75: The Maple Leafs benefit from realignment and an expanded playoff format making the playoffs despite finishing in 3rd place in the Adams Division with a 31-33-6 record. The Maple Leafs would advance to the 2nd round by beating the Pittsburgh Penguins 2 games to 1. In the 2nd round the Leafs would prove a pesky challenger for the defending Stanley Cup Champion Philadelphia Flyers. However, in the end the Flyers would emerge victorious knocking off the Leafs with a 7-3 win in Game 7.

1976/77: The Maple Leafs make the playoffs again by finishing in 3rd place with a 33-32-15 record.  Once again the Maple Leafs would dispatch the Pittsburgh Penguins in 3 games in the preliminary round. In the 2nd round the Maple Leafs get off to a terrific start stunning the Flyers in the first 2 games at Philadelphia. However, the Flyers would lose 2 heartbreaking games in overtime as the series shifted to Toronto, as the Flyers came back to win the series in 6 games.

Source by Frank Fleming @ www.sportsecyclopedia.com
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