NHL defenseman deletes social media after tough loss on Sunday.

The world of social media can be a cruel one.

On Sunday, the New York Islanders suffered a very tough defeat at the hands of the New York Rangers during a big Stadium Series event for the National Hockey League. In spite of establishing a seemingly comfortable 4-1 lead over their intrastate rivals, a late game collapse from the Islanders would result in the Rangers clawing all the way back to win it by a score of 6-5 in overtime.

As thrilling as the victory was for the Rangers, it was heartbreak for the Islanders and unfortunately that also resulted in a vitriolic reaction directed at some players on social media. Perhaps at the forefront of the backlash is Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield, who was on the receiving end of all kinds of criticism from fans.

A late penalty from Mayfield would lead to the game tying goal in regulation, and with the Rangers eventually taking the win in overtime it is no surprise to see Mayfield bearing the brunt of the backlash tonight. Now of course NHL athletes are well compensated and some criticism from fans is to be expected when things aren't going well, but it would seem as though the criticism tonight simply became too much for Mayfield.

Following the game, Mayfield's Instagram account (@scottmayfield2) was pulled offline and now appears to have been deleted.

Hopefully it was a decision Mayfield made for his personal well being, and not something that was done as a result of threats directed towards the player.