In Toronto, the Maple Leafs face a critical 48-hour period to demonstrate a different identity.
Their core group must finally show signs of life.
While it might seem premature to declare the 2024-25 Maple Leafs finished, their performance in Game 5 on Wednesday night at Scotiabank Arena, where they were decisively defeated 6-1 by a surging Florida Panthers team, certainly invites premature judgment.
Their struggles began with a slow start, followed by significant errors from key players. The Panthers, the reigning champions, then buried the bewildered Leafs under an onslaught of nine unanswered goals.
Entering what was arguably the most significant home playoff game for the franchise in 23 years, the Maple Leafs delivered a performance so listless it would be criticized even during a regular season game against a weaker opponent.
Given the repeated disappointments of this core group over nine consecutive playoff appearances, perhaps this poor showing was, sadly, predictable.
