Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner give their thoughts on team mentality as Game 5 loss stirs up the haunting playoff memories

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews and forward Mitch Marner shared their thoughts after a 4-0 shutout loss to the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday.

The Senators' victory kept their playoff hopes alive, narrowing the best-of-seven series to 3-2. The Leafs had taken a commanding 3-0 lead with a 12-6 scoring advantage, but the Sens have since outscored them 8-3, clawing back to within one win in the series.

When asked how the team feels mentally, Auston Matthews responded that everyone in the locker room is doing fine while describing the playoffs as a roller coaster with ups and downs.

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"I think everybody's fine in here. The playoffs is a roller coaster," said Matthews post-game. "It's going to be ups and downs, and it's about staying as even-keeled as you possibly can, making adjustments when you need to, and just about everybody digging in, looking in the mirror, and being a little bit better next game."

Acknowledging Ottawa's push back in the last two games, Mitch Marner expressed confidence in the team, emphasizing the need to play their best game in Game 6 on the road.

"Fine. Playoffs not supposed to be easy. This is never supposed to be easy. We knew it was going to be a challenge," he said. We knew it wasn't going to be easy. They pushed back the last two games. Now we've got to go into a building and play our best game. We've been a great road team all year, so we have confidence in this group."

The Toronto Maple Leafs fans are grappling with fears of past playoff failures continuing to haunt them. Since 2004, the Leafs have only advanced past the first round once, during the 2023 playoffs against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Notably, only one NHL team has overcome a 3-0 deficit to win a first-round series: the Los Angeles Kings in 2014.

Ottawa Senators' consecutive wins against Maple Leafs fuel belief

The Senators, once on the brink of a first-round sweep after falling behind 3-0 to the Maple Leafs, have rallied to win two consecutive games.

When asked if the second straight victory to avoid elimination might planbt a seed of doubt in the Leafs' minds, Senators coach Travis Green said that it boosts his team's belief.

"It gives our team belief. I can’t speak for how they feel or the pressure that is on their team. I don’t think our group has really felt pressure from the beginning," Green said. "We talk about playing game-to-game, resetting, and getting ready to play the next game. That really hasn’t changed from the start of the series.

The Toronto Maple Leafs will hope to bounce back and clinch the sseries against the Ottawa Senators in Game 6 at Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday.