Craig Button blasts Auston Matthews' 'garbage' comment on Maple Leafs fans leaving early after embarrassing Game 5 loss to Panthers

The Toronto Maple Leafs were disappointing in Game 5 of their playoff series against the Florida Panthers, losing 6-1 at home on Wednesday. The lopsided defeat put the Leafs down 3-2 in the second-round series.

As the game got out of hand in the third period, droves of frustrated Leafs fans headed for the exits before the final buzzer. When asked about the fans leaving early, star forward Auston Matthews said,

"I don't think we really gave them much reason to stick around tonight."

Those comments didn't sit well with NHL analyst Craig Button. Speaking on SportsCentre, Button blasted Matthews for the "garbage" quote:

"This is going to be really harsh, and it's meant to be harsh. You know, with the Leafs right now, winning is good and losing is okay. That's the attitude I see in the team. Oh yeah, we'll win, it's great. But losing, they accept it," Button said.

Button pointed out that one team dictated the game while the Leafs were simply on the receiving end. He emphasized how much the dominant team enjoyed controlling the play and said it was no surprise fans headed for the exits early.

“That's a great comment after the game. Yeah? So what were you going to do to keep them in their seats? What were you going to do to give them value for their money? What were you going to do to say, we're not taking it anymore?" Button said.

"Oh, it's great, I don't blame them for leaving.' Really? Oh, okay. Nice quote. Garbage."

Fans had already booed the Leafs at the end of the second period when Florida took a 4-0 lead. Jerseys were even thrown on the ice in the third, showing fans' frustration with the team's poor performance in the crucial playoff game.

Mitch Marner's reaction to Maple Leafs fans leaving early

Toronto Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner gave a diplomatic response when asked about fans booing and leaving the Maple Leafs' home Game 5 early.

"It is what it is, I'm not focused on that, you know, you focus on the team and what you can do out there and like I said, it wasn't good enough from our standpoint and that's what happens," Marner said. (3:01 onwards)

The Maple Leafs head into a do-or-die Game 6 on Friday night in Florida.