The Toronto Maple Leafs endured one of their most disappointing showings of the postseason on Wednesday night, falling 6-1 to the Florida Panthers in Game 5 of their second-round series. With a pivotal opportunity to retake control on home ice, the Leafs instead unraveled in front of a restless crowd, surrendering six unanswered goals before salvaging a late tally from Nick Robertson.
Auston Matthews, the team’s captain and leading figure, did not mince words when reflecting on the loss. “Obviously the start wasn’t great. The way that they play, I think we just fed into what makes them successful,” Matthews said postgame.
He added: “I thought they won the net fronts tonight. I thought they competed harder, won more puck battles. That’s the game. It’s really as simple as that.” Toronto struggled to generate momentum from the outset.
Matthews’ assessment
Matthews, whose offensive struggles have become a focal point, acknowledged the sentiment. “I mean, I don’t think we gave them much reason to stick around,” he said. “Everybody’s gotta look in the mirror, myself included. Everybody wants to be better. Everybody wants to obviously win.”
The loss extended Matthews’ goalless streak in the second round to 10 consecutive games. Still, the 26-year-old emphasized the importance of his all-around play. “I don’t look at myself as 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… and just try to be an all-around complete player.”
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All eyes on Game 6 as Leafs face elimination
Now trailing 3-2 in the series, the Maple Leafs head to Sunrise with their backs against the wall. Game 6 on Friday presents a must-win scenario, and Toronto’s ability to reset — both mentally and tactically — will determine whether their season extends to a Game 7.
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Matthews remains confident in the group’s resilience. “We’ve been a great team all season long,” he said. “There’s always going to be belief in this group and the confidence in this group from what we built throughout the year. So we gotta go into this game with confidence, and it’s gotta be our best game of the year.”
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