Matthews jersey thrown onto ice at Scotiabank Arena after lopsided Game 5 loss

Originally posted on TheLeafsnation | By Alex Hobson | Last updated May 14, 2025 10:06 PM ET

Toronto Maple Leafs fans experience lots of pain, but sometimes, depending on the circumstances, it just hits another level. And you can tell when this level is achieved by spotting a jersey on the ice.

In a Game 5 that many expected the Maple Leafs to be ready with a response for after a shutout loss in Game 4, the Leafs showed up with what was bar none the worst effort of the run, potentially even in this era of playoff hockey. The Panthers dominated them from start to finish, punishing them on every dump-in and dominating in the faceoff circle, eventually breaking Joseph Woll and piling on the goals. The Leafs looked as lifeless as they ever have, and the Auston Matthews jersey thrown onto the ice in the third period perfectly represents how the game went.

An Auston Matthews jersey was just thrown on the ice at Scotiabank Arena. pic.twitter.com/lLP1pfpRFl

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) May 15, 2025

The mood around the Leafs was still pretty good heading into Wednesday night’s game despite back-to-back losses to the Panthers. With an extra day of rest and some time to regroup, it was a perfect opportunity for the Leafs to come back to the building they’ve done a good job of igniting for the most part. Instead, it was the worst effort of the season, regular and post.

Matthews isn’t the sole culprit for the loss, but for somebody who faces as much scrutiny as the next guy for his tendency to fall flat in crucial playoff games, his efforts the past two games have not been good enough for the money he’s being paid and for his role as Team Captain. The series is not over, as much as it may feel like it, but the Leafs are facing as much of an uphill battle as they’ve seen in recent memory, now having to return to Florida to keep their hopes alive. And if they manage to do that, they face the ultimate demon – a Game 7.

It’s not over yet, but it’s going to take a lot more than what happened Wednesday night to bounce back from a jersey-on-the-ice type of loss and defeat the team just embarrassed them two times in a row.