If there is one player who understands the pressure to win in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, it’s Brad Marchand. The former Boston Bruins captain won a ton of playoff series with the Black and Gold, and he had a ton of postseason success against the Toronto Maple Leafs. You have to think that when he was traded to the Florida Panthers at the trade deadline in March, it didn’t sit well with Toronto fans. On Sunday night, one of the most hated opponents in Toronto franchise history put the fans and media on blast.
Brad Marchand puts Maple Leafs fans and media on blast after Game 7 victory
If you know anything about the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Stanley Cup Playoffs, it’s that things usually don’t end well. In fact, that has been the case since winning the Cup in 1967, but with their core, fans were hoping the drought would end. After jumping out to a 2-0 series lead, the Maple Leafs dropped the next three games before winning Game 6, 2-0, on the road last Friday night, forcing a Game 7 at home Sunday night.
In the end, we all knew what was going to happen, didn’t we? Of course, we did. The defending champions went into Scotiabank Arena and dominated the hosts to the tune of a 6-1 drubbing to advance Florida to their third consecutive Eastern Conference Final. The game looked like a team that had been there before the last two seasons, and one that was tight. Marchand ended up with three points in the game, including an empty-net goal, to add insult to injury, and after the game, he took a shot at Maple Leafs fans and the Toronto media.
If there is one player who would know, it’s Marchand. Toronto has built up to the moment they had on Sunday night and and their core four was looking to get over the hump and into the Eastern Conference Final. They didn’t do themselves any favors by falling behind 3-0 in the second period with three goals eight minutes apart. In true Maple Leafs fashion, after Max Domi cut their deficit to 3-1 early in the third period, they promptly allowed a fourth Panthers goal 47 seconds later. Game, set, match.
Pressure can get to teams, and expectations are always that “this is the year’’ for Toronto, and when it doesn’t happen, you get the outcome and reaction that you got on Sunday night. Eventually every team gets over the hump, but it may take time. Marchand’s quote won’t sit well with Toronto fans, but in reality, it is the truth.