Auston Matthews Shuts Haters by Saving Toronto Maple Leafs From Playoffs Elimination

Auston Matthews’ stats of 10 points in 11 games looked fine on paper, but the reality was quite different. As the Toronto Maple Leafs’ captain and an NHL forward, he just didn’t show up in their Round 2 series against the Panthers. In five games against the Panthers, where the Leafs took a 2-0 lead only to lose the following three games, Matthews didn’t score a single goal. So it’s no wonder that when fans threw their jerseys on the ice in protest in Game 5, the very first jersey had Auston Matthews written on the back.

However, that all changed tonight. The Leafs went into Game 5 with the odds and even their fans against them. Another loss, and their 2024-25 Stanley Cup dreams would be over. Yet, Matthews and the Leafs continued to believe. “I’m just going to continue to shoot, continue to compete out there, and work and do the little things to the best of my ability. And when those opportunities come, I’m just going to keep shooting and keep believing that the next one’s going in,” Matthews said ahead of the game. And that’s exactly what happened.

Auston Matthews broke the deadlock after two goalless periods, where the Panthers failed to capitalize on their win-streak momentum. “AUSTON MATTHEWS WITH HIS FIRST OF THE SERIES AND IT COULDN’T HAVE COME AT A BETTER TIME,” B/R Open Ice wrote in all caps while posting the clip of Matthews finally scoring his first goal of the series.

AUSTON MATTHEWS WITH HIS FIRST OF THE SERIES AND IT COULDN'T HAVE COME AT A BETTER TIME pic.twitter.com/3zmdBPQ3W9

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) May 17, 2025

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