Randy Carlyle: 7 key moments behind Leafs' bench
Late-game/season collapses mar coach's tenure
Looking back at Randy Carlyle's nearly three years as coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, seven key moments stand out.
March 2, 2012
Carlyle becomes the 37th head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, taking over from Ron Wilson. The team has a 29-28-7 record when he takes control. They finish on a 6-9-3 run and miss the playoffs for the seventh straight season.
Jan. 19, 2013
Carlyle gets to put his stamp on the Leafs from the start of the season, which is shortened due to a lockout. The team finishes the campaign with a 26-17-5 record, good for fifth in the Eastern Conference, ending the playoff drought.
May 13, 2013
After forcing a Game 7 in their first-round series against the Bruins, the Leafs take a 4-1 lead in the third period and appear poised to move on. But a late-game collapse sees Toronto give up three goals in the third before eventually conceding the overtime winner to Patrice Bergeron.
Feb. 27, 2014
The Leafs resume play after the Olympic break with a firm hold on a playoff spot. But they lose 16 of their final 22 games to miss the post-season.
- He said it: "Shock might be the words to describe it," Carlyle told NHL.com at the time of his team’s elimination. "Extremely disappointed. Shallow, embarrassed, all those things."
Nov. 18, 2014
Toronto is blown out for the second-straight game, losing 9-2 to Nashville at home. The Leafs are booed off the ice and a few fans toss jerseys.
- He said it: "It was an awful performance; it's as simple as that," Carlyle said after the Nashville loss. "How can you sugarcoat what happened with our group tonight? The first two periods we had 35 turnovers; 17 in the second period and 18 in the first. You can't win in any league or any level of hockey playing that loose with the puck."
Nov. 20, 2014 - Dec. 16, 2014
Starting with a 5-2 win at home over Tampa Bay — where the Leafs declined to salute their fans — Toronto goes on a hot streak, losing only twice in a 12-game stretch.
Dec. 18, 2014 - Jan. 3, 2015
The Leafs head on a long road trip, playing eight of nine games away from home due to the world juniors being hosted at the Air Canada Centre. Toronto goes 2-7 in that stretch, ultimately leading to Carlyle’s firing.
- He said it: "We’re trending the wrong way right now," GM Dave Nonis after announcing he had relieved Carlyle of his duties.