Maple Leafs' Craig Berube criticizes Auston Matthews-Mitch Marner line's performance in Game 5's shutout loss 

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube spoke to reporters after the team’s 4-0 loss to the Ottawa Senators at home on Tuesday night at Scotiabank Arena. The loss came in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series, where the Leafs now hold a 3-2 lead after going up 3-0.

Berube, however, focused on the struggles of the team’s top line, where Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and Matthew Knies were all on the ice for every Ottawa goal.

Berube said the line didn’t move fast enough through the neutral zone to create chances.

"Not enough speed through the neutral zone with that line to create in the offensive zone off of that," Berube said via mapleleafshotstove.com. "They were just a little bit late on things and didn’t create enough stoppages in the offensive zone. It was one-and-done too much for me with that line in the offensive zone."

Berube added that he expected more from them, especially at five-on-five.

Matthews and Marner's line registered 11 shots, six of them by Knies, but they failed to score. A costly mistake came in the third period with the score 1-0, and Matthews tried to pass to Marner on the power play, but the puck was taken away.

Sens forward Adam Gaudette and Dylan Cozens took the puck the other way and scored on a 2-on-1 opportunity. That made it 2-0 and ended the chance of any Maple Leafs' comeback effort.

Matthews spoke postgame and took responsibility for the turnover.

"I just tried to find Mitchy up top and I thought we drew them in," Matthews said via TorontoSun.com. "I didn’t see the guy there, and he picked it off. That’s on me. I have to make a better play."

Matthews added the team needs to score “greasy” goals at this time of year.

"We’ll be better next game and get some more bodies in front of him. This time of year it’s greasy goals. It’s not the prettiest of things, So that’s the way you have to approach it."

After a silent first period, Senators found a loophole in Maple Leafs' defense

Thomas Chabot scored first with a shot that deflected off Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews. Dylan Cozens made it 2-0 after a turnover led to a 2-on-1. Tim Stutzle then scored into an empty net for the third goal, before Brady Tkachuk added an empty-net goal to make it 4-0. Ottawa’s strong defense and Linus Ullmark’s goaltending helped them stay alive in the series.

Game 6 will be played in Ottawa on Thursday night at Canadian Tire Centre. The Senators now have momentum after winning back-to-back games. If the Maple Leafs lose again, the tied series will return to Toronto for Game 7 on Saturday.