Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk has joined the voices defending the Toronto Maple Leafs following their defeat in Game 7 on Sunday.
After Brad Marchand and head coach Paul Maurice suggested on Sunday that the Maple Leafs receive excessive criticism for their playoff history, Tkachuk further discussed his views on Monday`s *Spittin` Chiclets* podcast.
The star forward expressed a degree of sympathy for the talented Toronto squad.
Sometimes you feel bad for them because they have some unbelievable players and a great team. I was actually saying this last night to some of the guys. If their team was not in Toronto, dealing with all the crazy circus stuff outside of it, they`d be an unbelievable team and such a hard team to play.
He elaborated on the distinct challenges presented by playing in the Toronto market.
They have so much to deal with. I feel bad, we don`t have to deal with that in Florida. I feel like that`s what makes me and my team so lucky. You almost use that against them.
