"Multi million dollar playoff flop": NHL fans react as Auston Matthews jersey is thrown onto ice amid blow out Game 5 loss

NHL fans on social media reacted to an incident where Auston Matthews' jersey was thrown onto the ice at Scotiabank Arena following the Toronto Maple Leafs' 6-1 blowout loss to the Florida Panthers on Wednesday.

The Maple Leafs delivered a performance that fell short of home fans' expectations in a crucial contest. After leading the series 2-0, the Leafs have lost three consecutive games, positioning themselves on the verge of another early elimination in the playoffs.

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Frustrated Maple Leafs fans expressed their disappointment by booing the team and throwing an expensive Auston Matthews jersey onto the ice. Here's how fans on X (Twitter) reacted.

One tweeted:

"Multi million dollar playoff flop."

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Another chimed in:

"Worst captain in team history."

Here are some of the other top reactions on X:

"I’m bout to burn mine so. Dudes a joke man just disappears come playoffs. Don’t give a fuck about an injury he’s hiding. Get out there and play like u can," a third fan wrote.

"More useful than Matthews has been his entire playoff career," another wrote.

"Should have at least thrown a Marner jersey. They’ll be 'Buy 1 Get 1 Free' on clearance at LeafSport after this weekend," one X user said.

"Sh*t like this from any fanbase is so pathetic. Letting the anger in the heat of the moment get to u. What if Matthews/Marner pull it off in G6 & 7?Does everyone shut up and apologize? Any fan whos been negative or reacted dramatically shouldnt be allowed to celebrate if they do," another chimed in.

Auston Matthews and the Maple Leafs face elimination after Game 5

Aaron Ekblad opened the scoring for the Panthers after putting them ahead 1-0 at 14:38 of the first period. This was the lone goal scored in the opening period. Dmitry Kulikov extended the Cats' lead to 2-0 at 6:08 of the second period.

Four minutes later, Jesper Boqvist increased the visitors' lead to 3-0 before Niko Mikkola's goal made it a 4-0 game for the Panthers. They continued their dominance in the third period, with A.J. Greer making it 5-0 at 6:23. Sam Bennett potted the sixth goal for the Cats on the power play at 9:10.

Meanwhile, Nicholas Robertson was the lone scorer for the Leafs, who avoided a shutout after scoring at 18:54 of the final period.

About the author

Abhishek is an NHL writer at Sportskeeda with over 2 years of sports reporting experience and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delhi. He became a fan of ice hockey after watching NHL fight videos on YouTube, which led to him professionally writing about the sport and his continued interest in all things hockey.

A fan of the Boston Bruins, Abhishek considers their incredible comeback win against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2013 playoffs as the most iconic moment in the NHL. His admiration for the six-time Stanley Cup winners also comes from the team’s storied history, distinctive black and gold uniform and their success in the sport. His all-time favorite NHL players are Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, for their ability to perform at the highest level consistently.

Abhishek ensures his reporting is fair and balanced by being well-researched in his details, which he expects to be relevant, up-to-date and in line with ethical standards. His specialties are doing detailed match analysis and covering fan reactions.

Abhishek enjoys music, traveling and going on walks with his three German Shepherds in his free time, along with learning about horticulture.

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Edited by Abhishek Dilta