TORONTO — The captain’s actions in the moment spoke louder than his words.
In that frustrating sequence during Game 5, after Auston Matthews` power-play turnover led directly to a shorthanded counterstrike that gave the Senators a lead too significant to overcome – the second time the Toronto Maple Leafs had a chance to be the last Ontario team standing and failed – Matthews visibly displayed his anger on the home bench. He forcefully snapped his stick and threw the pieces away.
It was a clear expression of elimination-game frustration, a feeling this core group has experienced often in their careers.
The only path forward to break this pattern – this core`s perplexing 1-13 record in series-clinching games – is to move past the mistake that cost them, like the broken stick.
They need to pick up a new stick. And make it produce results.
“We’re not looking in the rearview mirror. It’s about the next day, next game,” Matthews said following Tuesday’s 4-0 defeat to the Ottawa Senators. “We’re in a good spot here.”
He added, “The playoffs are, you know, a roller coaster. There are going to be ups and downs, and it’s about staying as even-keel as you possibly can.”
The NHL officially referred to Tuesday`s event at Scotiabank Arena as “Game 5.”
More accurately, it was the “Narrative Game.”
The Maple Leafs, eager to prove they are different this time, began the game knowing it would conclude with one of two distinct headlines: Leafs Clinch! or Leafs Clench!
A single play, a difference of one vowel, creates a world of disparity. It’s a game won and lost by fine margins.
Your best players have to be your best… well, you understand the expectation.
“We had our opportunities but didn’t convert them,” Mitch Marner stated. “That happens sometimes.”
The reality in this city, especially with this specific group of star players, is that a favourable situation – holding a 3-2 series lead with home ice advantage and no significant injuries or suspensions – can still be viewed skeptically. This suspicion stems from the weight of past failures and recent underwhelming performances from the team`s top talent and their power play unit.
While the minus-4 rating for Matthews and Marner’s line on Tuesday was inflated by a couple of empty-net goals late in the game, both stars have been less effective since the chance to eliminate their opponent first presented itself.
Coach Craig Berube`s assessment was blunt: “Not enough speed through the neutral zone with that line, which impacted their ability to create chances in the offensive zone from that. They were just a little bit slow on things and didn’t generate enough sustained pressure in the offensive zone. It was too often one-and-done for me with that line tonight in the offensive zone.”