(Photo: CityNews Toronto, NHL)

In 15 minutes time by the time this is published the Toronto Maple leafs will be facing elimination in Game 6 against the Florida Panthers in Sunrise, Florida. In must win situations the Leafs have been awful in elimination game scenarios in there last 14 elimination games they have only managed to win 1 game. 

After dropping the first two games on the road the Panthers came back to Florida and took care of business and then won there first road game of the series which has now put them on the edge of a third straight Eastern Conference Finals appearance. The Panthers adjustments to there D and Adjustments to there for check has really put the pressure on the Leafs and so far they have shown no fight in dealing with these changes. Another change has been Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. Bobrovsky has been lights out in his last 2 games only giving up 1 goal in that span. On the offence side of things the Panthers have been lead by there big boys in Sam Reinhart, Alexander Barkov, and Carter Verhaeghe those three have been putting constant pressure on the Leafs this series throughout all 5 games. The Panthers also got some help from there D on the offence side of things as Aaron Ekblad, Nikko Mikkola, and Dmitry Kulikovall scored in the Game 5 win on Wednesday night. 

This could be it for Torontos “Core 4”, as John Tavares and Mitch Marner are both free agents this summer and if the Leafs do get eliminated tonight it will be a disappointing end of an era in which so many Leafs fans were so excited see. The pressure is on for all of these players but especially, Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. Marner and Matthews have not lived up to standards this series and Matthews has yet to score a goal in this series. 

I think this series is over. When Toronto in any series lose a game they get very down on themselves and the energy just shifts as a outsider you can see it. I fear this time i can see it again. The Leafs might get your hopes up tonight might even take a lead or 2 but i just do not see them coming out of Florida with a W. So Leafs fans enjoy this core for as long as you can tonight because this is the end of an era.