It is all slipping away in the playoffs from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Again.
After taking the first two games in their second-round series against the Florida Panthers, the Maple Leafs now face elimination after a disastrous showing in Game 5 on Wednesday night.
Florida dominated the crucial matchup with a 6-1 victory—a scoreline that arguably flattered Toronto, given how lopsided the game truly was.
Here’s a paraphrased version of the passage with the same tone and meaning
Simply put, the Florida Panthers dominated from start to finish, showing once again they know how to rise to the occasion when it matters most in the postseason.
On the flip side, it was yet another case of the Maple Leafs folding under pressure — something fans have come to expect this time of year. Florida took control right from the opening puck drop, using an aggressive forecheck and physical play to completely smother Toronto, setting the stage for a lopsided affair. The 6-1 final score barely told the whole story, as Florida also held a 77-53 advantage in shot attempts and a 38-21 edge in scoring chances.
The situation got so bleak that frustrated fans started throwing jerseys onto the ice late in the third period.
To make matters worse for Toronto, it wasn’t even Florida’s top stars doing the damage. Depth players like Dmitry Kulikov, Jesper Boqvist, Niko Mikkola, and A.J. Greer all scored their first playoff goals of the year. Aaron Ekblad and Sam Bennett also found the net.
What’s most troubling for the Leafs is the continued silence from their own stars — particularly Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner — who once again failed to show up when the team needed them most. This has become a pattern during the Maple Leafs’ nine playoff appearances with this core, contributing to their repeated early exits.
Since their return to the playoffs in 2016-17, this core group has made it past the first round just twice. Including this year’s two early wins in the series, they’ve managed only three second-round victories. Matthews, one of the NHL’s premier scorers, still hasn’t registered a goal in the second round of the playoffs.
Toronto looked in full control after taking a 2-0 series lead and going up 3-1 midway through Game 3. But after blowing that lead and losing in overtime, they’ve been outscored 8-1 — or 12-2 if you include the third period of Game 3.
It’s a level of failure that simply can’t be accepted. Game 6 is now shaping up to be yet another potential defining moment for this core. If the Leafs lose — especially in the same lifeless fashion — it’s hard to imagine this group sticking together. With Marner and John Tavares nearing free agency, major changes may not just be inevitable — they
may be necessary.
