The Florida Panthers eliminated the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7, which was a rout, as Florida won 6-1.
The Maple Leafs had another early playoff exit, and questions have begun about what players will be gone from the team. However, Panthers star forward Matthew Tkachuk admits he actually feels bad for the Maple Leafs as they have a ton of pressure playing in Toronto.
“We played well. Sometimes you feel bad for them because they have some unbelievable players and a great team,” Tkachuk said on Spittin’ Chiclets. “I was actually saying this last night to some of the guys, if their team wasn’t in Toronto, dealing with all the crazy circus stuff outside of it, they’d be an unbelievable team. They have so much to deal with. I feel bad, we don’t have to deal with that in Florida. That is what makes me and my team so lucky. You almost use that against them, like the pressure these guys have to deal with day in and day out.”
It’s an interesting comment from Tkachuk as he believes the pressure of playing in Toronto does hinder the Maple Leafs. He does think that might have impacted their play in Game 7, but he also says credit has to go to Florida for how well they played.
Tkachuk is in the third year of his eight-year, $76 million deal with the Panthers. Tkachuk has recorded 3 goals and 6 assists for 9 points in 12 playoff games.
Panthers Coach Praises Maple Leafs
Florida eliminated Toronto in Game 7 as the Panthers are back in the Eastern Conference Finals for the third-straight year.
Although the Panthers dominated Toronto in Game 7, Florida coach Paul Maurice praised the Maple Leafs and called them a much better team.
“It’s so much closer than you think, but you are going to kill those guys, and they don’t deserve it… This is a much better team than we played two years ago. Much better,” Maurice said. “This team is in that group of teams like ours, there’s maybe 11 this year, then there’s eight that have a chance. They’re one of those teams. You’re going to assign a whole bunch of character flaws that just aren’t true…
“What’s great for the league is hard for the Toronto Maple Leafs and their players,” Maurice added. “The passion for the Maple Leafs, the scrutiny that these men are under, is why everybody else gets paid so much. It’s a driver but there’s a cost to it for them. There’s a challenge.”
Toronto has failed to make it past the second round since 2002.
Maple Leafs Coach Opens up on Game 7 Loss
Toronto was blown out in Game 7 as the Maple Leafs were eliminated from the playoffs.
It was another lackluster playoff exit from Toronto’s core group, and Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube believes it’s a mindset for the core players.
“I don’t think the moment’s too big for them,” Berube said. “We went to Ottawa and won Game 6, and won a series. We went to Florida, won Game 6 to make it a Game 7. The moments not to big. For me, it’s all between the ears. It’s a mindset. These guys are capable of doing it. You just got to execute and we didn’t execute it. We didn’t execute it in Game 5 and we didn’t execute it in Game 7. I don’t have an answer for that.”
Toronto now begins its offseason with plenty of questions surrounding several players’ futures.
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