In a game where the Toronto Maple Leafs had to win it or risk going down a 3-1 hole in their series against the Boston Bruins, they chose the latter as they had their worst outing of the playoffs, losing 3-1. You can pick a handful of reasons why they risk elimination in the first round after their lifeless Game 4 effort; the lack of intensity, not skating or showing any jump from the start, the power play being completely ineffective, lack of attention to detail, you name it, it was evident.
What was also evident was a moment between the Maple Leafs’ star players on the bench where everything may have finally come to a boiling point as Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander showed great frustration. Both Matthews and Nylander appeared to have blasted Marner on the bench and after Nylander said something, Marner immediately throws his gloves as a result.
After eight seasons of failure and displaying a lack of effort in the postseason, this was the worst one for this core as everything compounded into one moment on the bench. It shouldn’t have come to this particular moment for them to turn things around, but they need to get their act together and fast.
Frustration Showing for First Time
To say that the clip of the core players on the bench were frustrated is an understatement. This was the first moment ever that all of Leafs Nation and media saw any sort of emotion or anger from this group over the last eight seasons. Matthews, Marner and Nylander finally had enough with the way things have gone and it showed. It even got to a point where Kelly Hrudey mentioned during the intermission that Marner throwing his gloves won’t solve anything.
Hrudey has a point. Instead of doing that, what should’ve been done was to go out on the next shift, dominate and take control of it, something that none of them did before this moment. They knew what was as stake coming in and they didn’t deliver by playing with any sort of intensity or drive. While I’m not trying to make excuses, Matthews was dealing with an illness that forced him to leave the game and Nylander just returned from an injury himself. But for Marner to continue to have the lackluster effort on every shift is disappointing and continues to not step up when everyone else needs him to.
Yes, Marner had a highlight reel goal in the third period, but that’s meaningless when he was invisible for 40 minutes before. It was too little too late for any of them to do anything as they’ve dug themselves in that hole. In the end, they couldn’t come out of it. All of the core players faltered in another big moment where none of them were connecting and Marner still hasn’t stepped up consistently.
When the Maple Leafs are averaging 1.75 goals per game in the postseason, have seven goals for (15th overall in the playoffs), scored three goals or less in their last 11 games, the power play is only 1-for-14 and have lost the last six games on home ice, it’s unacceptable. The temperature finally increased with the star players and that they may have clued in that they can’t have these kinds of efforts constantly and expect to win anything at all. Even all of their shots in Game 4, they were nowhere near to being dangerous to generate anything as they barely attacked the middle of the ice.
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There’s no sense of urgency and in the playoffs, if that isn’t present and a factor from shift to shift, you’re not going to go far.
A Turning Point?
The good thing in all of this is, this moment of frustration could be a turning point for the Maple Leafs. They had one in the regular season regarding Morgan Rielly and they went on a dominant stretch of hockey. Can they do the same again in the playoffs? On the other hand, how many turning points can this team have to try and motivate themselves instead of taking matters into their own hands and showing that they can compete hard when it matters.
On the verge of elimination, they need to decide how they want to play. Are you going to play with a sense of purpose and come out flying in desperation? Or, are you going to play with the same style and lack of energy to start a game only push at the last minute and it’s too late?
The Maple Leafs have been in this spot against Boston before in 2013 and in 2018, but they’re going to have to buckle down. Before their game, the Tampa Bay Lightning avoided elimination and played their best game of the series, beating the Florida Panthers 6-3. Marner has to take over a game like Brayden Point did with his three-point effort. Matthews needs to continue to torch the opposition with his shot and Nylander needs to be dynamic as he usually is.
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If they can turn things around, then that moment could be what sparks them. Both Nylander and Marner said they want to execute well and have high standards. If they want to show it for Game 5, they better.
The Maple Leafs are going to have to be desperate for more than 20 minutes of a game. If they don’t realize that if they don’t show up and play with any sort of conviction then it’s going to be a long offseason and it better be a long hard look in the mirror for everyone. They’ve had too many chances to turn things around and prove something.
Anything short of a series win would be seen as a failure. Losing in five games would be more incentive for massive change. It’s time to see which direction they would choose because this is where we see who wants it and who will continue to falter under the pressure of past failures.