As the heartbreak of a seventh consecutive Game 7 loss for the Toronto Maple Leafs seeps into the soul of the city, fans are left once again with a mixture of frustration, anger, and a whole lot of questions on who’s to blame.
Toronto looked strong at times in this series, but ultimately fell 6-1 to the Florida Panthers in a second consecutive blowout on home ice. After the game, captain Auston Matthews stepped up to the podium and gave a candid assessment of how it all played out.
“It felt like we were ready to play, it felt like we were in a good mindset,” Matthews said. “I thought the first ten minutes they came out strong, and the next ten minutes I thought we controlled play, then I just thought we had too many passengers throughout the rest of the game. We just weren’t on the same page.”
After a goalless opening period, things slipped out the Maple Leafs reach quick in the second, with three goals for the Panthers in the first ten minutes. Right then, there was a sense that it was over for the Leafs, who began to collapse defensively, failing to convert anything from their end into a meaningful offensive chance. And while Max Domi kept hopes alive with a big goal to open the third, a Brad Marchand-assisted goal one minute later silenced the home crowd and signalled the end. Overall, it was a very flat effort from the whole group, with no one stepping up to take charge and make a real impact for Toronto.
And while Matthews talked about there being “too many passengers,” most notably him and the Core Four failed yet again to score in a series-clinching game, now 0-6 in Game 7s in the Matthews era. Considering his lower than average production, there has been concern about Matthews in particular all year that he may be dealing with a lingering injury, exacerbated by his missed practices through the postseason.
“I’m not really gonna address that right now,” he said, of his health.
While he’s still being mum on the subject, more information on his injury status will likely emerge at the end-of-season media or throughout the summer.
The loss also marks what could very well be Mitch Marner’s final game as a Maple Leaf. The Toronto native is set to hit free agency this summer, but hardly made a very compelling case to fans on why he should earn a big contract this off-season. Still, Matthews spoke about what his longtime teammate means to him and the group.
“He’s like a brother to me, to all of us,” Matthews said. “I think we’re a very tight-knit group and we obviously love him to death. That’s all I can really say about that.”
A lot of questions remain, with a lot of roster decisions up in the air as the coming weeks and months approach. The Maple Leafs will have to try and regroup themselves in the offseason after a tough playoff exit once again.
