What Toronto Maple Leafs players said after being pushed to brink of elimination
The Toronto Maple Leafs are officially on the brink.
Wednesday’s result was arguably the worst playoff game of this iteration of the team, losing 6-1 on home ice in possibly their last game in Toronto all year.
After taking a 2-0 series lead against the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, the Leafs are now down 3-2 and one loss away from ending their second-round series and their season.
“I thought [the Panthers] competed harder and won more puck battles. I think that’s the game. It’s really as simple as that, just little details. I don’t think we were very sharp tonight in executing either,” Leafs captain Auston Matthews said.
Toronto now heads to Florida with a do-or-die Game 6 on Friday night.
“Nothing we can do now. We got to put our best foot forward, look in the mirror and just be better. I think everybody’s got to look in the mirror, myself included, everybody wants to be better. Everybody wants to obviously win. And we’ve been a great road team all season long,” Matthews added.
After scoring 69 goals a year ago and being a three-time Rocket Richard Trophy winner for the NHL’s highest goal-scorer, Matthews has yet to score in five games against Florida and has just two goals (albeit with 10 points) in 11 playoff games.
“I don’t look at myself as like a one-dimensional player if I’m not scoring,” Matthews said. “I’m trying to do all the other little things that make the team successful, that make myself successful, and just try to be an all-around complete player.”
Several Toronto fans were seen exiting the arena early, despite the cheapest tickets costing hundreds of dollars.
“I don’t think we gave them much reason to stick around,” Matthews said.
Toronto forward Mitch Marner emphasized the fact that the Leafs still have a shot at winning the series, despite the disappointing loss.
“Time to reset, refocus, and, you know, be ready for a flight… and go into Florida and win a hockey game,” Marner said of Friday’s contest.
Marner is an unrestricted free agent this summer, with a chance that Wednesday could’ve been his last home game if he opts to sign elsewhere.
“No thoughts of that at all. You know, like I said, reset. It’s obviously not the spot that we want to be in, but you can’t do anything about it. We knew this was gonna be a roller coaster… it’s not gonna be easy.”
Leafs forward William Nylander is hoping the team can wipe the tough loss away.
“We played good hockey throughout the entire season, and battled, and I think that we have it in us. We’ve just got to put it on the line. One game at a time, one shift at a time, to be honest,” Nylander said.
As for Leafs coach Craig Berube, he echoed many of his players’ comments.
“We will be better next game, but it is disappointing for all of us here the way we came out in the first period and the way we played. That is the biggest thing I take out of the whole game,” he said.