Insider points to Maple Leafs’ biggest mistakes in Round 2

The Toronto Maple Leafs have dug themselves a deep hole after beating the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games to advance in the postseason for the first time since 2004. They now face elimination later tonight in Game 4 of the second round series against the Florida Panthers because they havent played to their standards and have made costly mistakes. Toronto has only put up six goals in three contests and none came from Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares or William Nylander.

Matt Larkin of Daily Face-Off penned a brutal article this morning, pointing to the mistakes Toronto has made in the series that can hopefully be lessons in the future. Is that future tonight in the do or die Game? I guess we will have to wait and see.

“Whatever you accomplished in Round 1 goes ‘poof’ once you commence Round 2. It’s easy to forget that Mitch Marner, leading the brigade of disappearing Toronto Maple Leafs stars against the Panthers, had /11 points/in six games against Tampa. None of it matters now. The Leafs’ star quintet of Marner, Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares and Morgan Rielly have yet to tally a single goal in this series,” writes Larkin in Lesson 4.

Then he points to the mistakes that have been made, that clearly should not have happened in the first place and potentially led the Maple Leafs to where they are now - on the brink of elimination.

“Mistakes are magnified. Carter Verhaeghe slipping behind T.J. Brodie for a breakaway decided Game 1. Toronto’s sleepy 47-second stretch to open the second period made the difference in Game 2. Repeated bouts of lackadaisical puck management and defensive zone coverage gave the Panthers the space to rally from multiple one-goal deficits and take Game 3 in overtime.”

Larkin adds that the Panthers have educated the Maple Leafs - and tonight could be the final lesson. Because the reporter believes an elimination this early in the second round could push team president Brendan Shanahan to dismantle the core group.

But there is still time to prove the detractors wrong with a comeback story. Right?

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