It was supposedly a different year and a different team. While they had their moments, the Toronto Maple Leafs once again proved to be ineffective when it mattered most in a do or die Game 7, losing in embarrassing fashion to the Florida Panthers 6-1.
A lot of talk coming in was if the star players of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares could find another gear and match the intensity and show the will to win a Game 7. This postseason was the perfect opportunity to do that after they won their first-round matchup and got off to a hot start against the Panthers. However, it’s the same old story, same old result and same old talk of this being the end of the core as they haven’t proven that they can win and go beyond the second-round.
This team had an opportunity to once again change the narrative in a series where they looked better. It really did look like this was a different team. With only two series wins since 2017 with this group and another series loss, that should be all the more reason that this can’t continue. Game 7 against the Panthers should be the final straw.
Star Players Have Lifeless Effort
Despite the energy from the crowd, from the opening puck drop it was all Panthers and the Maple Leafs struggled to get anything going. They didn’t have the start needed to show that they wanted it more than their opponent. They were standing still, not moving, losing easy battles and couldn’t get the puck past the centre ice for a good half of the first period.
The Maple Leafs had some moments with some swings where they got some zone time, but they couldn’t battle back. They lost the game in the second period where the mistakes piled on and Florida scored three goals in a six-minute span. By then it was too late as the Panthers veteran championship pedigree showed and stuck it to the Maple Leafs. When the Maple Leafs needed a response from their top guys, they were extremely quiet and just like everyone else, there was no answer. Their performance in Game 7’s hasn’t yielded results and this game once again proved it.
The Panthers absolutely dominated from the start and finished the game leading in shot attempts 86-54 at five-on-five. Aside from a few shifts, the pushback from the Maple Leafs was abysmal and extremely disappointing considering everything that they worked for. They had the series lead, lost it, had momentum winning Game 6 on the road and they couldn’t carry anything over. Head coach Craig Berube was very honest about his postgame comments as they didn’t get the job done and didn’t compete well enough in order to win.
This series proved that they still don’t have what it takes to truly win and be a contender. They still couldn’t find a way to break free. When they needed the stars players to be at their best, they weren’t. They were completely invisible for most of the series. Matthews had his chances but only scored once. Marner was completely ineffective when the intensity amped up and had one assist in the last three games. Nylander went cold after he had nine points in the first four games. All three combined for six shots in the final game. That’s not going to cut it.
Related: 2 Takeaways From the Maple Leafs’ 6-1 Game 7 Loss to the Panthers
It really is odd to see them revert back to their old habits when they have shown to respond accordingly. They did it against the Ottawa Senators and against the Florida Panthers when they needed to. Not having one in a do-or-die game is extremely disappointing as this should lead to a major overhaul in the offseason.
The End of “Core Four” Era
No matter how you look at it, this was an extremely disappointing end to what could’ve been a different outcome had the Maple Leafs come in and played with conviction like their counterpart. Instead of being ready and competing hard, they didn’t have the character and mentality needed to win. That’s the one thing that hasn’t shown in these games.
Matthews said that he’s tired of this outcome. Tavares has said it wasn’t good enough. They’re saying it and the emotion showed on their faces, but they have yet to prove it.
They’ve had this feeling for so long and it’s about time that leads to changes. There were some added pieces to make this team more competitive, however, this ultimately falls on the star players. When you score one goal in each of the last five Game 7’s, that’s unacceptable. They get paid the big bucks to produce and show up and yet they didn’t have either of that. There have been too many times where it’s been the same story with this group and they continue to not find a way to play at a high enough level to move on and be a legitimate threat.
Which is why, general manager Brad Treliving and company has no choice but to blow this core up and make necessary changes. They’ve run it back too many times, but they have run out of chances in order to turn the ship around. Whether it’s not re-singing Marner or Tavares, something needs to happen as they can’t return with the same team.
Related: Analyst Makes It Simple: Maple Leafs Outclassed in Game 7
The players would want another crack and rightfully so. However, they’ve had too many at this point. At some point difficult decisions need to be made. It should have been made when they blew a 3-1 series lead against the Montreal Canadiens in 2021. They’ve had series wins since, but still those little consolation prizes aren’t enough.
If the Maple Leafs were competitive from the start and still lost in a close game, it probably would’ve been a different talking point. However, the result of this game is what’s going to bring forth major changes with this team. They had an opportunity to continue to prove it was different, but faltered as a result. They weren’t ready, they buckled under pressure again and had no response.
The Maple Leafs were one of the top-five teams to finish the season, but expectations were high and they fell short. There needs to be improvement and as a result, it’s going to be a long offseason.
Statistics from Natural Stat Trick.
