Why Maple Leafs’ Sport 5 loss is perhaps their worst one but – The Athletic – The New York Instances

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The Athletic has reside protection of Maple Leafs vs. Panthers Game 6 within the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
TORONTO — There was nothing to love right here. No redeeming qualities. No silver linings.
Everybody was unhealthy. Everybody knew it stunk. The followers booed all through the sport — no less than the few thousand who didn’t rise up and depart early, regardless of paying among the highest ticket costs in professional sports activities. One threw the captain’s jersey on the ice.
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Even by Toronto Maple Leafs requirements, it set a excessive mark for futility.
“Flush it down the bathroom,” was Mitch Marner’s recommendation for learn how to transfer previous an unsightly 6-1 loss to the Florida Panthers in Sport 5 that feels prefer it in all probability ended their season. Staff president Brendan Shanahan may need to be certain that the plunger is helpful, although, as even the franchise’s overburdened bad-game john may reject this providing.
For the primary time all season, ever-unflappable head coach Craig Berube sounded considerably shell-shocked when he met with the press after the sport. His staff had an opportunity to take management of the collection and put the defending champs on the ropes, going up 3-2 within the collection with Sport 7 out there, if crucial, at dwelling.
As a substitute, the Leafs completely no-showed in one of many group’s most essential video games in many years.
“Yeah, it’s arduous to elucidate it,” Berube stated. “All of us obtained to be higher. Myself included. We are able to’t begin the sport that manner. That’s the massive factor for me — units the tone for the sport.
“I don’t have a solution for you for why. It’s sports activities. Issues occur.”
So, Berube is new right here. And generally it reveals. After many years of enjoying, teaching and dwelling in america, he might be considerably forgiven for not following together with each postseason catastrophe up right here in Toronto.
Sadly, for individuals who have watched all of it unfold during the last 9 years, it’s not that arduous to elucidate what occurred at Scotiabank Area on Wednesday evening. The “why” behind what was probably the most lopsided playoff losses in franchise historical past — solely a late, meaningless Nick Robertson aim prevented them from dropping by six within the postseason for the primary time in 37 years — is just not an excellent thriller as a result of we’ve seen it so many instances.
This staff has not misplaced 13 elimination video games with this core group by happenstance. It’s misplaced them as a result of the highest gamers constantly disappear on the most important time of the 12 months.
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It’s like Groundhog Day, however in Could. All that’s lacking at this level is Invoice Murray holding a toaster to cap off their season. Or possibly he needs to be driving an 18-wheeler off a cliff with a screaming woodchuck in his lap?
It’s to the purpose that one of many debates that began to unfold on the enviornment among the many media gathered to chronicle one other implosion was whether or not this loss was worse than different brutal showings in years previous.
I’d argue that sure, this ranks proper up there with the worst of all of them.
You would level to what occurred in 2020, after they misplaced to the Columbus Blue Jackets in 5 video games in that bizarre pandemic season the place extra groups made the playoffs than regular. Or in 2021, in blowing a 3-1 collection result in a not-very-good Montreal Canadiens staff within the first spherical. Or possibly one of many Sport 7s they blew towards the Boston Bruins or Tampa Bay Lightning?
However the purpose this one is worse — assuming, as most rational people are, that the collection is over — is there are completely zero excuses.
The Leafs core has grown up. Auston Matthews, Marner and William Nylander have all performed 9 seasons and 600-plus video games on this league, piled up factors, received main awards and misplaced within the playoffs, time and again. They aren’t, by NHL requirements, younger males anymore. They’re veterans main probably the most veteran-laden groups within the league.
In addition they have the very best supporting forged round them they’ve ever had, with a deep, hard-nosed blue line and a succesful goaltender.
None of their core gamers are harm or absent, like what occurred with John Tavares towards Montreal or Nylander final season. The opposing goalie isn’t standing on his head and saving all the things. They aren’t getting unlucky breaks or unhealthy luck.
They’re simply plain unhealthy. So unhealthy that even the staff’s most ardent followers, the blue-and-white trustworthy who paid 1000’s of {dollars} to see their heroes right here in what was near a must-win sport, might see it nearly immediately.
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Their staff didn’t have it. So the followers allow them to have it.
Perhaps the Leafs aren’t blowing a 3-1 collection lead towards a weak opponent, however is a deeper, extra skilled group frittering away a 2-0 collection lead — and a 3-1 lead in Sport 3 — and ending up right here any improve? After buying and selling away two first-round picks and a number of prospects to bolster this group on the deadline, giving them each alternative to lastly ship? With two of their prime gamers set to develop into unrestricted free brokers and stroll for nothing on July 1?
That’s about as dire because it will get.
Think about, too, that NHL groups that take a 2-0 collection lead at dwelling win the collection roughly 90 p.c of the time. Groups that rise up 3-1 in video games like Toronto did final Friday shut their opponents out 82 p.c of the time.
The Leafs ought to have been up 3-0 on this collection, by holding onto Sport 3’s lead and shutting it out the best way they did all season. Or on the very least they need to have received one of many final two video games. That they didn’t pull off a win during the last three outings, below these circumstances, is inexcusable — particularly given they didn’t even play with a pulse the final two video games.
At this level, nonetheless, it’s simply extra fodder for the collapse pile they’ve been constructing for years. And we’re simply choosing by the ashes and on the lookout for that means when there’s in all probability not a complete lot extra to find out about this group.
Barring a really miraculous comeback, there’s going to be loads of time to get into the complete eulogy of this staff — of this core group — subsequent week when this collection is over. At this level, nonetheless, I’m undecided many members of the fan base are even going to point out up for the funeral. You’ll be able to inform they’ve already moved on to what’s subsequent, as they hope and pray for significant modifications.
Nobody desires to look at reruns of their least favourite present anymore.
(Prime photograph of linesman Jesse Marquis choosing a fan jersey off the ice: Steve Russell / Toronto Star by way of Getty Photos)

James Mirtle is a senior author protecting the NHL for The Athletic. James joined The Athletic because the inaugural editor in Canada in 2016 and served as senior managing editor of The Athletic NHL for 4 years. Beforehand, he spent 12 years as a sportswriter with The Globe and Mail. A local of Kamloops, B.C., he seems usually on Sportsnet 590 The Fan and different radio stations throughout Canada. Comply with James on Twitter @mirtle

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