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Maple Leafs Fans Throw Auston Matthews’ Jersey on Ice During 6-1 Defeat in Game 5 Against Panthers
John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Maple Leafs Fans Throw Auston Matthews’ Jersey on Ice During 6-1 Defeat in Game 5 Against Panthers

Originally posted on FirstSportz  |  By Vinay Dave  |  Last updated May 15, 2025 10:16 AM ET

The Toronto Maple Leafs and their captain, Auston Matthews, have once again found themselves under the wrath of the fans. The team suffered a huge 6-1 defeat against their division rivals, the Florida Panthers, in Game 5, which has put them on the brink of elimination.

The Leafs started off strong and won the opening two games of the series at the Scotiabank Arena to take a 2-0 series lead. The Panthers found a way back in the series through an overtime winner from Brad Marchand in Game 3, and then leveled up the series with a 2-0 win in Game 4.

This made Game 5 in Toronto a massive one for both of these teams. After taking a 1-0 lead at the end of the 1st period, the Panthers’ offense exploded in the 2nd period.

Goals from Dmitry Kulikov, Jesper Boqvist, and Niko Mikkola saw them take a 4-0 lead. As the Maple Leafs skated off the ice at the end of the 2nd period, fans at the Scotiabank Arena would heavily boo the team.

As the team went 5-0 down in the third period, frustrations from the fans would boil over. In the midst of this, an Auston Matthews jersey was thrown onto the ice.

The Maple Leafs did avoid a 2nd successive shutout loss with a late goal from Nicholas Robertson, which made it 6-1. They will now travel to Florida on Friday, hoping to keep the series alive and force a Game 7.

Auston Matthews comments on his performance following massive loss in Game 5

The form of Auston Matthews has taken a huge dip during the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs. The American international has scored just 2 goals this playoffs, with none of them going in this second-round series.

While speaking to the reporters after the game, Matthews expressed that everybody on the team, including himself, had to look into the mirror and try to bring out their ‘best game’ on Friday.

Everybody’s got to look in the mirror, myself included. Everybody wants to be better. Everybody wants to obviously win. We’ve been a great road team all season long.

Auston Matthews told the reporters

In Game 5, Matthews recorded 18:06 minutes on the ice. He had 6 shots on goal with 2 blocked shots, leading to frustrations among fans in Toronto.

When was the last time the Maple Leafs made it to the Eastern Conference Final?

The Toronto Maple Leafs have not enjoyed huge success in the playoffs in recent years. This year was just the 2nd time in over 2 decades where they had advanced from the first round. Following a loss in Game 5, the team is on the brink of elimination and missing out on the Eastern Conference Final.

The last time the Maple Leafs were in the Eastern Conference Final was in 2002 when they faced off against the Carolina Hurricanes. They ended up losing the final 4-2 in the best-of-seven series. They last time, they won the finals was in the 1967 playoffs where they lifted the trophy.

To reach another Eastern Conference Final, they will need to win Games 6 and 7. As for the opponents, they are looking for their 3rd straight finals appearance, having played in the Stanley Cup finals in both 2023 and 2024.

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

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