“He is the problem,” Auston Matthews under TREMENDOUS heat from fans following Maple Leafs’ Game 5 loss against Senators

The Toronto Maple Leafs lost 4-0 in Game 5 against the Ottawa Senators, with captain Auston Matthews having a poor performance on the ice.

“He is the problem,” Auston Matthews under TREMENDOUS heat from fans following Maple Leafs’ Game 5 loss against Senators

Auston Matthews (Image via Imago)

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews is once again under tremendous heat from the fans following a playoff loss. On Tuesday, the Maple Leafs blew another chance to close out the first-round series and lost 4-0 in Game 5 against the Ottawa Senators.

After finishing on top of the Atlantic Division in the regular season, the Toronto-based outfit took a 3-0 series lead against their rivals. This gave them a chance to register their first series sweep in over 2 decades.

The Senators, though, had some other ideas. They won Game 4 in overtime and forced Game 5 at the Canadian Tire Centre. In this game, the Sens ran out as 4-0 winners and forced Game 6.

Auston Matthews, the captain of the Maple Leafs, has scored just 1 goal in these 5 games. Following the loss, the Maple Leafs have a 1-13 record in playoff series-clinching game records. The only win in this run is their 2-1 victory in Game 6 against the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2023.

Despite this poor record, Matthews is confident regarding his team’s chances in the playoff series. While speaking with the reporters after the game, the forward claimed that the team was in a “good spot” and they are not panicking in the locker room.

We’ve been a great road team all season long. We’re a confident group in here, so, we’ve got to put this one behind us, learn from it. We’re in a good spot here.

Auston Matthews told the reporters

Auston Matthews under the heat following poor performance in Game 5

After winning Game 3, the Toronto Maple Leafs found themselves in a great position. However, two back-to-back losses have once again raised concerns regarding their ability to close out a series. Captain Auston Matthews’ performance in Game 5 was wildly criticized by the fans on social media.

Auston Matthews
Auston Matthews (Image via Imago)

Several users slammed him for his comments after the game, while some attacked him for showing up in the series. One X user wrote, “He is the problem” while criticizing his performances.

Check out that and some other reactions from X below:

Game 6 of this series will now take place on Thursday, May 1. If the Sens manage to win that game, then the series will come down to its final game at the Scotiabank Arena.

Maple Leafs coach criticizes performances of Auston Matthews-Mitch Marner line

In Game 5 against the Ottawa Senators, the Toronto Maple Leafs were shut out by their rivals. After the game, head coach Craig Berube criticized the performances of the Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner line.

Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner
Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner (Image via NY Times)

The two Maple Leafs superstars failed to generate any kind of offense for the team. As per Berube, the line of Matthews, Marner and Matthew Knies did not have enough speed in the neutral zone.

Not enough speed through the neutral zone with that line to create in the offensive zone off of that. They were just a little bit late on things and didn’t create enough stoppages in the offensive zone.

Craig Berube said in the post-match conference

One major issue for the Maple Leafs is their power play in potential playoff clinching games. They are 0-30 in PP in such games, leading to concerns regarding their offense.

The Maple Leafs will now be hoping to avoid drama in Game 6 and close out the series. Last year, they came back from 3-1 down to force a Game 7, only to end up losing in that game and suffering another early elimination from the playoffs.

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