The end of Maple Leafs' Core Four? 3 key storylines to watch out for in Game 6 between Toronto and Panthers

The Toronto Maple Leafs are on the brink of elimination and Game 6 could be the end of the current Toronto core.

Toronto got up to a 2-0 series lead but has lost three straight games to go down 3-2. The Maple Leafs are now on the road facing elimination.

Ahead of Game 6 on Friday night in Florida, here are three storylines to watch.

3 key storylines for Maple Leafs vs Panthers Game 6

#1, The end of Core Four?

The Toronto Maple Leafs have been led by the Core Four of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and John Tavares, but Game 6 could be the end of it.

Marner and Tavares are both pending free agents, and it seems likely Marner won't be back. Although Tavares has said he wants to be back, it's not a lock, especially if Toronto loses in Game 6, as the Maple Leafs' front office may want a complete shake-up of their current core group.

#2, Can Matthews produce in the second round?

Auston Matthews is one of the best goal scorers in the NHL, but he has struggled to produce this round.

Matthews has yet to score in this series, and the only other time Toronto made the second round, he also failed to score.

If Toronto is going to force a Game 7, Matthews will have to chip in offensively. Although he is doing a good job defensively, Matthews is the highest-paid player in the NHL because of his ability to score, and Toronto needs him to score.

#3, Will Panthers inch closer to being a dynasty?

After the Tampa Bay Lightning won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021, many figured we wouldn't see another repeat champ in the NHL for quite some time.

Due to the salary cap and the parity in the NHL, it's hard to win, let alone back-to-back. Yet, the reigning Cup champs in the Florida Panthers could be one step closer to achieving that feat.

Florida has made the Stanley Cup in back-to-back years and is looking to reach it for the third-straight time and win it in back-to-back years. If the Panthers do that, Florida will be in the talks to be considered a dynasty.