Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews get absolutely lambasted by fans and critics after crucial Game 3 loss against the Panthers
The forward duo of Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews have failed to show up at the big stage when their team needs them the most.
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Auston Matthews (left) and Mitch Marner (right). [Pic Credit: The Toronto Star]
Desperate times call for desperate measures. The Toronto Maple Leafs are in heavy need of it if they were to salvage some pride and save their season. The team currently finds themselves at the bottom of the pit. Their third consecutive loss at the hands of the Florida Panthers has put them 3-0 down in the best-of-seven series. Calls for coach Sheldon Keefe to be sacked have spiked up. Along with that, two of their players, Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews, have faced heavy criticism.
The star forwards have failed to make the desired impact that was expected from them. The duo’s performance in the crucial Game 3 has been described as below par. NHL presenter Craig Button was clearly left unimpressed by the play offered by the forwards and was not shy to speak out his heart’s content.
“There’s no other way to put it, they were poor. You might be able to get away with that game in November, you do not get away with that game in Game 3 when you’re down 2 games to nothing,” Button said.
He also said things about the others but kept his major focus on these two. “Matthews had his best shift on the opening shift when he hit the post, and Mitch Marner was nowhere to be found in this game,” he continued. It is not hard to say Button was wrong or harsh in his analysis. He was simply disappointed by the performance of two players who can play better than this.
Uphill battle for Toronto Maple Leafs to make it through to the next phase
The Toronto Maple Leafs now find themselves in an uphill struggle against the Florida Panthers. To say they need to climb a mountain will not be wrong. They are now 3-0 down and will need a miracle to overturn this deficit. If they manage to do it, it would be one of the greatest comebacks in sporting history. However, for this to happen, their star forwards have to turn up big time.
The two top earners on the team, Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews, have managed just four shots between them. They have somehow failed to record a single point for the Maple Leafs against the Panthers. The story of the Maple Leafs’ superstars coming up short when the teams need them the most is becoming a routine.
Meanwhile, the Florida Panthers have started to peak at the perfect time. They have won six successive games for the very first time in their postseason history. They are now just one win away from a clean sweep of the Maple Leafs and booking their place in the final four.
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Vinay Dave
(1817 Articles Published)