Auston Matthews Assigns Blame for Maple Leafs’ Game 7 Loss to Panthers

Goaltender Joseph Woll, who was filling in for injured starter Anthony Stolarz, allowed five goals on 33 shots, and aside from a Max Domi goal in the third period, the Maple Leafs offense was nowhere to be seen in their 6-1 loss to the Panthers.

And while there wasn’t just one thing anyone could point to as the reason why Toronto lost, Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews believes his teammates’ apathetic defensive approach is what ultimately did them in.

“I just thought we had too many passengers [in the second and third period],” Matthews told reporters. “We just weren’t on the same page, and they get a couple goals and momentum like that and you’re chasing the game and it’s hard to get it back when you’re down three against a good team that plays sound defensively like them.”

Matthews referenced a brutal stretch in the second period in which he seemingly believes the Maple Leafs just sat back and let the Panthers pick them apart — and he’s not wrong.

In a span of six minutes and 24 seconds, the Panthers built a 3-0 lead after goals from Seth Jones, Anton Lundell and Jonah Gadjovich.

To Matthews’ point — as has been the case over the last four games — Toronto’s offense was simply nonexistent. The Maple Leafs scored four goals in their last four games against the Panthers, and they lost three of them.