TORONTO – Craig Berube didn’t have a solution. Auston Matthews wasn’t making excuses. Mitch Marner tried to rapidly flip the web page.
The half-empty stands, the boos from these in attendance at Scotiabank Enviornment nonetheless enduring the ache, and a few jerseys tossed over the glass onto the ice painted a bleak image.
The Maple Leafs have gone from the driving force’s seat to the brink of elimination within the house of every week.
They’ve one alternative to salvage their season — and save face.
The Florida Panthers confirmed their title-winning pedigree with a scientific efficiency Wednesday in dismantling Toronto 6-1 to take a 3-2 lead within the groups’ second-round playoff sequence.
“It’s onerous to clarify it,” mentioned Berube, the pinnacle coach introduced in final spring to get the Leafs’ gifted, underachieving roster over its post-season hump.
“We’ve all bought to be higher, myself included.”
Aaron Ekblad and Jesper Boqvist, with a aim and an help every, Dmitry Kulikov, Niko Mikkola, A.J. Greer and Sam Bennett scored for the Panthers, who had Toronto on its heels from puck drop.
Sport 6 goes Friday night time at Amerant Financial institution Enviornment in Dawn, Fla. Sport 7, if needed, can be again in Toronto on Sunday.
It was in all probability onerous for the followers exiting the rink to check that one being performed after watching their workforce fall flat beneath the brilliant lights.
“I don’t assume there’s actually any excuse or clarification,” mentioned Matthews, Toronto’s captain nonetheless with no aim within the sequence. “We’ve bought to win a recreation to maintain our season alive.”
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Sergei Bobrovsky, who completed with 31 saves, noticed his shutout streak of 143 minutes 25 seconds relationship again to the third interval of Sport 3 damaged late in regulation. Sam Reinhart and Nate Schmidt added two assists every for the defending Stanley Cup champions.
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“I’m not a giant believer in momentum,” Florida head coach Paul Maurice mentioned. “The sequence is nearer than you assume.”
It didn’t really feel prefer it Wednesday.
Joseph Woll allowed 5 objectives on 25 photographs earlier than getting the hook in one other ugly efficiency throughout the board from the listless Leafs, who led this Atlantic Division matchup 2-0 earlier than three straight losses which have pushed them to the sting.
“I don’t assume anybody’s blissful,” mentioned Marner, who might need performed his final recreation in blue and white at Scotiabank Enviornment together with his contract set to run out July 1. “Time to reset, refocus be prepared for a flight … go into Florida and win a hockey recreation.”
Matt Murray completed with six saves in aid. Nick Robertson bought the comfort aim for Toronto.
“They owned us,” mentioned Leafs winger William Nylander.
The Panthers opened the scoring in a dominant first interval the place they held a determined edge — each territorially and on the shot clock.
Florida, which blanked Toronto 2-0 in Sport 4 at house, discovered a well past Woll at 14:38 when the Leafs misplaced a string of puck battles earlier than Ekblad fired his second of the playoffs upstairs.
Leafs ahead Scott Laughton hit the publish a minute into the second, nevertheless it was all downhill from there.
Kulikov made it 2-0 at 6:08 when his level shot went in off Laughton’s stick.
Marner — a pending unrestricted free agent — then flung a hopeful move up the center that Florida simply picked off within the impartial zone. Reinhart rapidly turned the opposite approach and fed Boqvist, within the lineup for the injured Evan Rodrigues, for him to faucet house his first aim since Jan. 25 at 10:05 after Marner didn’t choose the ahead up on the backcheck.
“Some sloppy play, not working onerous sufficient, gave them approach too many alternatives round our web,” Marner mentioned of the Leafs’ points. “There’s record of it.”
Mikkola made it 4-0 at 14:01 when he blasted his first of the playoffs on a shot that Woll will need again.
Berube began his fourth line to begin the third interval — a transparent message to the workforce’s core of star forwards led by Matthews, Marner, Nylander and John Tavares.
Greer made it 5-0 together with his first at 6:23 as plenty of followers headed to the exits. One tossed a Matthews jersey onto the ice. Extra laundry hit the taking part in floor because the clock mercifully wound down.
“Play higher,” Leafs defenceman and Toronto native Chris Tanev mentioned when requested in regards to the crowd’s response.
“I don’t assume we give them a lot purpose to stay round,” Matthews added.
Murray, who final made a playoff look in 2020 with the Pittsburgh Penguins, took over from there and allowed Florida’s sixth to Bennett on an influence play at 9:09.
The battered and bruised Leafs, who bought on the board with 66 seconds left in regulation when Robertson lastly beat Bobrovsky, now head south with their backs towards the wall.
“I don’t have a solution for you for, ‘Why?’” Berube mentioned. “It’s sports activities, issues occur.”
Nothing good from a Toronto perspective on a disastrous night time.
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Might 14, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
