Maple Leafs focused, confident in changing Stanley Cup Playoff narrative

HENDERSON, Nev. --The Big Four are back.

Auston Matthews, Mitchell Marner, William Nylander and Morgan Rielly return to the Toronto Maple Leafs this season after another disappointing loss in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, eager to write a new story with a happy ending.
"I think it's a proof of confidence in our group, and I think it's an opportunity for us to change the narrative," Rielly said at the NHL North American Player Media Tour at Lifeguard Arena on Friday when asked about management keeping the core together.
"Ultimately, we're not happy with how the playoffs have gone for us in recent years. Last year, we talked about an opportunity to get revenge and to prove we can get over it, and we didn't, so I think we're going to continue to say that.
"We're extremely focused, we're extremely confident with our group, and it's on us now to get results. And I think whenever you have a chance to get redemption with a group that had their hearts broken last year, it's a cool opportunity."
The Maple Leafs blew away team records for wins (54) and points (115) last season, finishing fourth in the NHL. Matthews became their first 60-goal scorer and won the Hart Trophy, which goes to the NHL's most valuable player as voted by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
But they finished second in the ultra-competitive Atlantic Division to the Florida Panthers, who won the Presidents' Trophy as the NHL's top regular-season team, and their reward was a matchup with the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference First Round. They lost in seven games.
It was the sixth straight year they lost in the opening round of the playoffs and the fifth straight year they lost a winner-take-all Game 5 or Game 7. The Big Four -- Rielly on defense, the others at forward -- were part of each of those losses. Center John Tavares joined them as a free agent in 2018-19.
Some fans and media have called for changes.
"The stuff on the outside is just that: on the outside," Marner said at a charity event in London, Ontario, on Thursday. "We can feel it, but all that stuff is left to management. You can't change the past. Obviously, they have trust in us, and we have trust in them. We have a great team this year, and we can't wait to get going."
Matthews and Rielly pointed to the long list of teams that suffered years of playoff disappointments before winning the Cup.
Most recently, the Washington Capitals failed to advance past the second round in nine playoff appearances from 2008-2017, then won the Cup in 2018.
The Lightning lost in the Cup Final in 2015, lost in the Eastern Conference Final in 2016, didn't qualify for the playoffs in 2017, lost in the conference final in 2018 and got swept in the first round in 2019, then won the Cup in 2020 and 2021.
The Colorado Avalanche lost in the first round in 2018, lost in the second round in 2019, 2020 and 2021, then won the Cup last season.
"Everybody's journey's kind of different," Matthews said at the player media tour on Friday. "… We believe in our group, and we've been extremely motivated, and obviously falling short, it just kind of continues that, fuels the fire. But we believe that we're right there and that we're close and that we're one of the best teams in the League and we're going to be very competitive."
The supporting cast has changed, most notably in net. The departures include goalies Jack Campbell and Petr Mrazek and forwards Ilya Mikheyev, Ondrej Kase and Jason Spezza. The arrivals include goalies Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov, defensemen Jordie Benn and Victor Mete, and forwards Calle Jarnkrok and Nicolas Aube-Kubel.
The new faces will have to get acclimated and develop chemistry.
"There's going to be ups and downs, but I think it's just limiting those as much as possible and putting yourself in the best position come playoff time," Matthews said. "Everybody [says] the regular season doesn't matter. It does matter."
After qualifying for the playoffs and finishing as high as possible in the standings, Matthews said, what matters most is to "build good habits and build that consistency throughout the year, so when it comes playoff time, you've gone through adversity, you've gone through ups and downs, and nothing really shakes you."
This is the bottom line for the Big Four:
"You've got to put yourself in a position to be successful, and then you've just got to start winning important games," Rielly said. "We've been in countless positions to win a Game 7 or a Game 5. You've just got to do it. …
"Overall, I think that we have to have the mindset that when that time comes, we're ready. We've had experience in that first round. We've had experience in those big games. It's on us now to change the narrative."
NHL.com staff writer Mike Zeisberger contributed to this report