Schedule and 2020-21 Results
Regular Season Records: Toronto 35-14-7=77pts, Montreal 24-21-11=59pts
Game 1 on Thursday, 20 May: Montreal wins at Toronto, 2-goals-1
Game 2 on Saturday, 22 May: Montreal loses at Toronto, 5-goals-1
Game 3 on Monday, 24 May: Toronto wins at Montreal, 2-goals-1
Game 4 on Tuesday, 25 May: Toronto wins at Montreal, 4-goals-nil
Game 5 on Thursday, 27 May: Montreal wins at Toronto, 4-goals-3(OT)
Game 6 on Saturday, 29 May: Toronto loses at Montreal, 3-goals-2(OT)
Game 7 on Monday, 31 May: Montreal wins at Toronto, 3-goals-1

SERIES NOTES:

After Game 7: The Montreal Canadiens visited and bested the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-goals-1 to complete a 4-games-3 best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1458 victory. With the series 1458 win, the Montreal Canadiens improve their best-of-7 NHL playoff series record to 78-42 overall and 15-9 in the Preliminary round. With the series 1458 loss, the Toronto Maple Leafs see their best-of-7 NHL playoff series record fall to 35-43 (with an active six-series losing streak) overall and 8-10 (with an active five-series losing streak in the Preliminary round) in the Preliminary round. The win order for the victorious Montreal Canadiens in series 1458 was WLLLWWW: Series 1458 thus becomes the seventh NHL Preliminary-round series, the tenth NHL series (all rounds), and the 17th MLB/NBA/NHL series (all rounds) to follow that win order to completion. The series 1458 loss extends the best-of-7 NHL playoff series losing streak by the Toronto Maple Leafs to six. The series 1458 Game 7 loss by the Toronto Maple Leafs extends their best-of-7 NHL playoff game losing streak in close-out games (games with series leads of 3-games-nil, 3-games-1, or 3-games-2; games tied 3-games-all) to seven straight, beginning with the Leafs 2013 Preliminary-round Game 7, continuing through their 2018 Preliminary-round Game 7, continuing through their 2019 Preliminary-round Games 6-7, and continuing through their 2021 Preliminary-round Games 5-7; the seven straight Leafs close-out losses (and counting) ties the Calgary Flames (beginning with their 1991 Preliminary-round Game 7, continuing with their 1994 Preliminary-round Games 5-7, continuing with their 1995 Preliminary-round Games 6-7, and concluding with their 2004 Preliminary-round Game 6) and the old Phoenix Coyotes (beginning with their 1997 Preliminary-round Games 6-7, continuing with their 1999 Preliminary-round Games 5-7, continuing with their 2010 Preliminary-round Game 7, and concluding with their 2012 Preliminary-round Game 5) for the longest such losing streak in best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoffs. [It should be noted that the precursor entity to the old Phoenix Coyotes, the old Winnipeg Jets (I), ended their existence on a six close-out game losing streak, beginning with their 1990 Preliminary-round Games 5-7, continuing with their 1992 Preliminary-round Games 5-7, and concluding with their move to Phoenix: It could thus be asserted that the Winnipeg Jets (I) / Phoenix Coyotes amassed a 13-game close-out game losing streak from 1990 through 2012.]

After Game 6: The Montreal Canadiens hosted and bested the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-goals-2(OT) to tie best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1458 at 3-games-all. When tied 3-games-all in a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series, the Toronto Maple Leafs have a Game 7 record of 12-12 (with an active three-Game 7 losing streak irrespective of site), while the Montreal Canadiens have a Game 7 record of 14-9. The Toronto Maple Leafs have a 7-1 Game 7 record at home, with an active four-Game 7 winning streak at home. The Montreal Canadiens have a 6-6 Game 7 record on road ice. The sole Maple Leafs Game 7 loss in Toronto occurred in series 639, to the Los Angeles Kings in the 1993 NHL Semifinals.

After Game 5: The Montreal Canadiens visited and defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-goals-3(OT) to drop the Toronto Maple Leafs best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL series 1458 lead to 3-games-2. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Toronto Maple Leafs have a series record of 19-6 and a Game 6 record of 13-12 (with an active four-Game 6 losing streak). When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-2, the Montreal Canadiens have a series record of 8-24 (with an active four-series losing streak) and a Game 6 record of 14-18 (with an active four-Game 6 losing streak).

After Game 4: The Toronto Maple Leafs visited and shut out the Montreal Canadiens 4-goals-nil to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1458 lead of 3-games-1. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-1, the Toronto Maple Leafs have a series record of 11-1 and a Game 5 record of 7-5. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 3-games-1, the Montreal Canadiens have a series record of 2-18 (with an active five-series losing streak) and a Game 5 record of 10-10. The sole series loss sustained by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the wake of a 3-games-1 lead occurred in their last such series (series 486, to the Detroit Red Wings in the 1987 NHL Quarterfinals); before that, the last 3-games-1 series lead by Toronto in best-of-7 play occurred in series 154, in the 1963 NHL Finals (also against the Detroit Red Wings).

After Game 3: The Toronto Maple Leafs visited and defeated the Montreal Canadiens 2-goals-1 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1458 lead of 2-games-1. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Toronto Maple Leafs have a series record of 18-10 and a Game 4 record of 9-19 (with an active nine-Game 4 losing streak). When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 2-games-1, the Montreal Canadiens have a series record of 7-20 (with an active four series losing streak) and a Game 4 record of 13-14 (with an active four-Game 4 losing streak).

After Game 2: The Toronto Maple Leafs hosted and bested the Montreal Canadiens 5-goals-1 to knot best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1458 at 1-game-all. When tied 1-game-all in a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series, the Toronto Maple Leafs have a series record of 16-22 and a Game 3 record of 16-22, while the Montreal Canadiens have a series record of 22-19 and a Game 3 record of 26-15.

After Game 1: The Montreal Canadiens visited and defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-goals-1 to take a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1458 lead of 1-game-nil. When leading a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Montreal Canadiens have a series record of 61-11 and a Game 2 record of 55-17. When trailing a best-of-7 MLB/NBA/NHL playoff series 1-game-nil, the Toronto Maple Leafs have a series record of 16-28 (with an active four-series losing streak) and a Game 2 record of 23-21.

Pre-series assessment: In the 2020-21 NHL regular season, the Toronto Maple Leafs finished 18 points ahead of the Montreal Canadiens. From 1939 through the 2020 NHL Finals round, when NHL teams led their best-of-7 playoff series opponents by 18 regular-season points, they have posted a best-of-7 playoff series record of 14-6 (.700) in those series against those opponents. MLB/NBA/NHL best-of-7 playoff series 1458 is the 78th best-of-7 NHL playoff series for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the 120th for the Montreal Canadiens. In best-of-7 NHL playoff series, the Toronto Maple Leafs have an all-rounds series record of 35-42 (with an active five-series losing streak), a Preliminary-round series record of 8-9 (with an active four-series losing streak), and a Game 1 record of 33-44, while the Montreal Canadiens have an all-rounds series record of 77-42, a Preliminary-round series record of 14-9, and a Game 1 record of 72-47. Series 1458 is the 14th best-of-7 NHL playoff series meeting between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens. The Montreal Canadiens won seven of the previous thirteen best-of-7 NHL playoff series between the two teams. Series 1458 marks the fourteenth meeting between these two storied NHL entities, but the first since series 353 in the 1979 NHL Quarterfinals. The Toronto Maple Leafs seek to win their first best-of-7 NHL playoff series since series 909, in the 2004 NHL Preliminary round.