Thousands of disgusted Toronto Maple Leafs fans pour out of Scotiabank Arena early
Perhaps Toronto Maple Leafs fans should’ve been prepared for what happened in Game 5 on Wednesday night.
Years of playoff disappointments should’ve readied them for a letdown performance at the most crucial time.
Yet so much about this year felt different. The Leafs jumped to a 2-0 series lead against the Florida Panthers. Even after the Panthers roared back to tie it at two games apiece, the Leafs were still returning home for Game 5 with the chance to take a 3-2 series lead.
But that’s not what happened. Instead, the Leafs put forward their worst performance of the playoffs, getting absolutely destroyed by the Panthers in all facets of the game.
The final score was 6-1 in favour of the Panthers, and it felt more lopsided than that at points. The only Leafs goal came with just over one minute remaining.
With the game firmly out of reach in the second period, thousands of Leafs fans left the arena early. They left their seats and walked out, done with what they were seeing. At first, it was a small group, but it soon grew into a steady stream of frustrated fans throwing in the towel.
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Leafs tickets are infamously expensive, and during the playoffs, they are doubly so. The cheapest pair of seats for Game 5 started at $490 per person. That’s a lot of money to pay just to leave midway through the game.
The price of premium tickets went up exponentially from there, with many seats costing well over $1,000.
Fans are on their way out of the building as the Panthers score their sixth goal in Game 5 pic.twitter.com/bxakvJC6sr
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 15, 2025
The fans who did stay in the arena made sure to voice their displeasure. Loud boos rained down from the crowd at different moments, including after Panthers’ goals, at the second intermission, and at the final buzzer.
As the game progressed, fans started throwing jerseys on the ice. The referees had to clear the ice of Leafs jerseys multiple times as angry fans expressed their frustrations. Those jerseys aren’t cheap either.
Second jersey tossed in the ice (itās 6-0) pic.twitter.com/wc5tXVWIek
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) May 15, 2025
The Leafs replaced goalie Joseph Woll with Matt Murray in the third period. That didn’t help stop the bleeding as the Panthers scored again, increasing their lead to six goals.
While Wednesday’s blowout loss wasn’t pretty, the Leafs aren’t eliminated yet. They’ll have a chance to even up the series on Friday. However, it won’t be easy. They’ll be playing in Florida, and the Panthers will be hungry to close out the series.