Toronto Maple Leafs Got Smoked During Their First Playoff Game & Fan Reactions Were Brutal
They didn't hold anything back. 😬
Scotiabank Arena
Love them or hate them, you can't deny fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs have an unshakeable belief that their boys will prevail each year.
However, that said, the team's humiliating loss 7-3 to Tampa Bay Lightning last night did open up a deep well of self-hatred. Oops.
In fact, judging by some of the comments that flooded social media on Tuesday night, it appears that no one hates the Leafs more than their own fanbase.
\u201c@Dee52471862 @MapleLeafs @NHL I dont know why we bother tbh. We should stop giving them our money. If Toronto fans stopped funding this shit show, maybe they would actually pay attention and make a much needed change. I doubt it but its nice to think about.\u201d— 0-0\ud83d\udc99-D~LEAF PLAYOFFS Girl next door\ud83d\udc99\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\udf37\ud83d\udc9e\u270c\ud83c\udffb\u262e (@0-0\ud83d\udc99-D~LEAF PLAYOFFS Girl next door\ud83d\udc99\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\udf37\ud83d\udc9e\u270c\ud83c\udffb\u262e) 1681910806
Someone even compared the feeling of watching the game to getting "run over by a tank." Yikes.
\u201cDude last night\u2019s game was like watching a car crash, but everyone was fine, but then the car gets run over by a tank. \n\nI have nothing but envy for people who aren\u2019t Toronto maple leafs fans.\u201d— Liam O\u2019Reilly (@Liam O\u2019Reilly) 1681914000
Other fans appeared to be using the heartbreaking moment as a chance to self-reflect.
\u201cToday I am choosing peace by not thinking about the Toronto Maple Leafs and instead thinking about happier things\u201d— x - BJ Trodie (@x - BJ Trodie) 1681908636
As if the fan response wasn't brutal enough, a video shared by Sportsnet's Twitter highlighted the awkward atmosphere in the Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday evening and it's certainly not the vibe.
\u201c*checks in on Maple Leafs fans* \ud83d\ude36\u201d— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) 1681862489
No one wants to watch their team crash and burn in the playoffs for an eternity, but the booing may have been a bit much.
\u201cThe Leafs got boo'd off the ice at the end of the first period \ud83d\ude2c\u201d— B/R Open Ice (@B/R Open Ice) 1681864172
What was the Leafs' reaction to the embarrassing loss, you ask? They, uh, weren't stoked. But, the team's captain, John Tavares, did offer up a hot take on how the game was refereed.
"Those calls that are borderline, more likely than not they're gonna go their way," he said during a post-game conference.
Tavares wasn't the only one complaining about the game's officials.
\u201c@RajBauer @TBLightning @MapleLeafs Toronto fans complain a lot, including myself, but yesterdays officiating warranted it. Literally numerous analysts and former players sharing the same thought would illustrate that. Refs controlled too much of the game last night.\u201d— x - Raghu Sharma (@x - Raghu Sharma) 1681867008
Fans were quick to join in with their own takes on last night's officiating, which should probably be taken with a grain of salt.
\u201c@LeafsMaz20 People say don't blame the refs like they did their job, sure the Leaf's played horrible, but the officials were dog water.\u201d— DartGuy (@DartGuy) 1681864157
However, star centre Auston Matthews didn't seem as convinced, arguing, "most of the penalties that were called were penalties," when asked if he felt slighted by the refs.
The Leafs are scheduled for a rematch with Tampa Bay at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday.
Overall, the start to the playoff season was not what any Toronto fan would hope for, but there's still plenty of hockey left to play.
So, no need to jump off the bandwagon quite yet.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.