As Maple Leaf Meltdowns go, this one was mild.
Yes the Leafs blew the 3-0 lead they built up in the first 20 minutes, then coughed up a 5-4 advantage in the game's dying seconds en route to a 6-5 shootout loss to the Carolina Hurricanes Thursday.
But this one was no where near the top single game collapses in team history. Far from it.
Consider these two doozies from the past, both which the Leafs lost by 6-5 scores. Just like they did against Carolina. Obviously these 6-5 outcomes are bad news for Toronto.
But we regress. Back to the history lesson. Keep in mind: In each case, the Leafs were up 5-0 IN THE THIRD PERIOD and still lost.

- Jan. 26/87: Flames 6, Leafs 5 (OT) @ Maple Leaf Gardens.
Thanks to a pair of first-period goals by Wendel Clark, the Leafs soared to a 5-0 lead after 20 minutes, an advantage they maintained through two periods. But, unbelievably, Calgary scored five times in the game's final 15 minutes, the equalizer coming with less than 50 ticks on the clock when Joey Mullen beat Allan Bester with Flames goalie Rejean Lemelin on the bench for a sixth attacker. Colin Patterson completed the famous Collapse on Carlton St. by scoring the winner in overtime for the Flames.

- Nov. 29, 2000: Blues 6, Leafs 5 (OT)@ Air Canada Centre
Once again the Leafs blew a 5-0 lead in the third period, then lost in OT. Alex Khavanov led the way with two goals, including the goal to tie the game at 5-5 with 25 seconds left in the game. Jochen Hecht had the game winning goal 18 seconds into overtime.