The Toronto Maple Leafs are once again facing playoff doubt and past ghosts after dropping back-to-back games to the Ottawa Senators and missing another chance to close out a series.
Tuesday’s 4-0 loss at home trimmed their lead to 3-2 in the first-round matchup and extended a franchise trend of postseason letdowns.
Toronto has now lost 13 of their last 14 potential series-clinching games since 2004, and the team has been outscored 8-3 in Games 4 and 5 after dominating the first three games of the series for a combined 12-6 score in those outings.
Auston Matthews, carrying the “C” as the team captain for the first time in the playoffs, said the locker room isn’t shaken.
Auston Matthews on his giveaway that led to Dylan Cozens’ shorthanded goal: “Tried to find Mitchy up top. I thought we kinda drew them in. I didn’t see the guy there. He obviously picked it off. That’s on me. I gotta make a better play.” https://t.co/baS0oBnHmd
— luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) April 30, 2025
“I don’t think there’s any panic in this room,” Matthews said. “We won three, they win two, it’s the ups and downs of playoffs. We’ve been here before and we’re just going to put our best foot forward, go into the next game with confidence.”
Matthews acknowledged the tension but stressed the team’s internal calm with two games left in the series and another clinching opportunity scheduled for Thursday.
“I think everybody’s fine in here. The playoffs is a roller coaster,” Matthews said. “It’s about staying as even-keeled as you possibly can, making adjustments when you need to, and just about everybody digging in, looking in the mirror, and just being a little bit better next game.”
Mitch Marner added that the team expected a tough series even after starting the Battle of Ontario with a 3-0 record.
“Playoffs—not supposed to be easy. This is never supposed to be easy,” Marner said. “They pushed back the last two games.
”Now we’ve got to go into a building and play our best game.”
The Leafs will get a chance to clinch a second-round place Thursday night in Ottawa, where they already won Game 3 after finishing the regular season tied for the league’s best road record.
Brady Tkachuk on if the #Sens have cast a seed of doubt in the mind of the Leafs:
“I think so, we’re not going to go away easy. Our season is always on the line, the last two games. Our mindset’s not going to change. You lose – you go home…do whatever it takes and leave…
— Claire Hanna (@clahanna) April 30, 2025
Pressure is mounting, however, and Senators captain Brady Tkachuk said his team has “planted a seed of doubt” in Toronto’s mind.
“I think so, we’re not going to go away easy,” Tkachuk said. “Our season is always on the line, the last two games. Our mindset’s not going to change. You lose, you go home. Do whatever it takes and leave everything we have out there.”
Related: Maple Leafs Coach Calls Out Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner Line After Loss
The Toronto Maple Leafs are once again facing playoff doubt and past ghosts after dropping back-to-back games to the Ottawa Senators and missing another chance to close out a series.
Tuesday’s 4-0 loss at home trimmed their lead to 3-2 in the first-round matchup and extended a franchise trend of postseason letdowns.
Toronto has now lost 13 of their last 14 potential series-clinching games since 2004, and the team has been outscored 8-3 in Games 4 and 5 after dominating the first three games of the series for a combined 12-6 score in those outings.
Auston Matthews, carrying the “C” as the team captain for the first time in the playoffs, said the locker room isn’t shaken.
Auston Matthews on his giveaway that led to Dylan Cozens’ shorthanded goal: “Tried to find Mitchy up top. I thought we kinda drew them in. I didn’t see the guy there. He obviously picked it off. That’s on me. I gotta make a better play.” https://t.co/baS0oBnHmd
— luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) April 30, 2025
“I don’t think there’s any panic in this room,” Matthews said. “We won three, they win two, it’s the ups and downs of playoffs. We’ve been here before and we’re just going to put our best foot forward, go into the next game with confidence.”
Matthews acknowledged the tension but stressed the team’s internal calm with two games left in the series and another clinching opportunity scheduled for Thursday.
“I think everybody’s fine in here. The playoffs is a roller coaster,” Matthews said. “It’s about staying as even-keeled as you possibly can, making adjustments when you need to, and just about everybody digging in, looking in the mirror, and just being a little bit better next game.”
Mitch Marner added that the team expected a tough series even after starting the Battle of Ontario with a 3-0 record.
“Playoffs—not supposed to be easy. This is never supposed to be easy,” Marner said. “They pushed back the last two games.
”Now we’ve got to go into a building and play our best game.”
The Leafs will get a chance to clinch a second-round place Thursday night in Ottawa, where they already won Game 3 after finishing the regular season tied for the league’s best road record.
Brady Tkachuk on if the #Sens have cast a seed of doubt in the mind of the Leafs:
“I think so, we’re not going to go away easy. Our season is always on the line, the last two games. Our mindset’s not going to change. You lose – you go home…do whatever it takes and leave…
— Claire Hanna (@clahanna) April 30, 2025
Pressure is mounting, however, and Senators captain Brady Tkachuk said his team has “planted a seed of doubt” in Toronto’s mind.
“I think so, we’re not going to go away easy,” Tkachuk said. “Our season is always on the line, the last two games. Our mindset’s not going to change. You lose, you go home. Do whatever it takes and leave everything we have out there.”
Related: Maple Leafs Coach Calls Out Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner Line After Loss
