Analyst rips Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner a new one after worst performance of their playoff careers
Leafs Nation is currently comprised of people split into two minds; those who are speechless and those who can't seem to run out of things to criticize this team for. Both sides have very real reasons to feel the way that they do and they share the same disbelief.
The Leafs came into this series against the Florida Panthers heavily favoured to win the series, in part because they posted a 3-0-1 record against the Panthers in their season series this year, but also because they had just knocked off the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 1st round after Tampa had been to 3 consecutive Cup Finals. However, the top guys failed to show up last night for the Buds and now they're in a 3-0 hole and facing elimination.
Those saying "same old Leafs" right now have every right to speak their minds. However, as TSN's Bryan Hayes points out, this isn't a case of the "same old Leafs". This is something entirely different, and possibly even worse, which is quite shocking.
"The Leafs have never had an issue with the first 3 games... they were up 3-1 and choked away the series [against Montreal], that's like it always was. Getting pumped through 3 games... this is totally different. They didn't do that against Washington the 1st year, they didn't do it any point against Boston, Tampa, Columbus, Montreal - they've never done this. They have never embarrassed themselves through 3 games. They've always shown up for the first few and THEN they panic."
Hayes wasn't done there. He also went on a tangent, naming Matthews and Marner by name, emphatically stating just how disappointing the play of the Leafs' two best players really was last night. He did not hold back either.
"For me, it's two guys. That's it. Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner - that's it. You mention McDavid and Draisaitl. We don't get to Hyman, Nugent-Hopkins, Kane, Bouchard and Skinner... You look at the best players, the best teams since the lockout - Zetterberg and Datsyuk, Sid and Geno, Toews and Kane, Kopitar and Doughty, Kucherov and Point... there's always a two pack and then everyone else filters down. Those two at the top of the mountain - the best teams over the last 15 years - those top two guys were GAMERS. They were great regular season players but they were even better in the playoffs. What I saw from [Matthews and Marner] last night, I couldn't believe it. I really couldn't believe it - that was a complete no-show from the two best players on the team and I can't believe that they played like that last night."
"If I'm Shanahan, ownership, Dubas - I'm looking at those two and saying, 'I pay these guys everything.. neither guy would commit 8 years. Both guys needed every penny they could get, they get the commercials, the marquees, everything that comes with superstardom and for them to play like that last night in a must-win.. I can't believe it. Maybe I should, because it's 7 years, but that's as bad as it's ever been. For two superstars, wearing that uniform, to play like that last night in a must win - inexcusable isn't a strong enough term. I can't believe they played like that."
"If I'm Shanahan, ownership, Dubas - I'm looking at those two and saying, 'I pay these guys everything.. neither guy would commit 8 years. Both guys needed every penny they could get, they get the commercials, the marquees, everything that comes with superstardom and for them to play like that last night in a must-win.. I can't believe it. Maybe I should, because it's 7 years, but that's as bad as it's ever been. For two superstars, wearing that uniform, to play like that last night in a must win - inexcusable isn't a strong enough term. I can't believe they played like that."
Regardless of what your feelings of Hayes and the TSN1050 OverDrive crew are, you can't argue with that logic. Matthews and Marner were horrendous last night. They were arguably the two worst forwards on the team in, as Hayes said, a "must-win game". For neither guy to register a point or even look legitimately dangerous at any point - it was downright embarrassing.
The Leafs sure have their work cut out for them now. If they want to have any hope at all of winning 4 straight, Marner and Matthews are going to have to go into absolute beast mode in Games 4-7. I don't like their chances, personally. As inconsistent as they've shown themselves to be over the years, it doesn't exactly give Leafs Nation a lot of confidence.
| POLL | ||
MAI 8 | 1119 ANSWERS Analyst rips Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner a new one after worst performance of their playoff careers Do you agree with Hayes about Matthews and Marner? | ||
| Yes | 1030 | 92 % |
| No, every player has an off-game | 89 | 8 % |
| List of polls | ||
MUST READ
TRENDING NOW
