Читать книгу Hope and Heartbreak in Toronto. Life as a Maple Leafs Fan онлайн

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The Leafs, it should be said, blew a two-goal lead and should have won even without the disputed goal. But had Sundin’s goal been allowed, it would have restored the Leafs two-goal cushion. Though there was no sure thing in that topsy-turvy season of 2006–07, especially with the unpredictable Andrew Raycroft in goal, Toronto very likely would have won the game had Sundin’s goal counted. Instead, New York tied it up during regulation time and the Isles’ Randy Robitaille scored the lone shootout goal to win it for his team.

The Leafs’ dropped point for losing in a shootout was bad enough. The two points that would have been denied to the Islanders had the Leafs been able to win in regulation time ended up being a killer. That’s because New York was able to mount a late-season charge bolstered by picking up Ryan Smyth at the trade deadline a week after the contentious Fraser-officiated game.

Six weeks and twenty-one games later, the Isles edged out the Leafs for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The final margin? A single point.