"Matthews and Nylander should be arrested for fraud": Maple Leafs fans rip into franchise stars after shutout Game 5 loss to Senators

Toronto Maple Leafs fans on social media criticized star players after Tuesday's 4-0 shutout loss to the Ottawa Senators in Game 5.

A series that once seemed like a potential sweep, with the Leafs leading 3-0, has now become highly competitive. The Sens have bounced back, winning two consecutive games to narrow the series to 3-2.

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The Maple Leafs fans expressed disappointment with the performance shown by their star players. Here's how the Leafs fans on X (Twitter) reacted to the Game 5 loss.

One tweeted:

"Matthews and Nylander should be arrested for fraud… millions paid, nothing delivered."

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Another chimed in:

"What an embarrassment tonight to the fans. Flat-footed. No passion or grit and players who look completely disengaged from the game. Why care? Why even dress for the team? This team isn't going far if this team can't get it together and play a full 60 minutes."

Here are some of the other top reactions on X:

"You spend that kind of money on offense and can’t buy a single goal?Shut the franchise down and lease the logo to a beer league," a third fan posted.

"END THIS SH*T THURSDAY and TELL MARNER AND MATTHEWS TO COME PlayThursday evening not dance out there!" One user wrote.

"This team is a complete disgrace and it’s embarrassing to watch. Matthews, Marner, Nylander all abysmal. I haven’t seen effort like this from Nylander in years and it’s just horrific to watch. Those 3 look awful but what else is new. Knies and Tavares only bright spots," another said.

You guys are f-g useless. Time for Matthews and Marner to get there heads out of their asses and play sensible hockey. The only 2 that played good tonight was Stolarz and Knies." one disgruntled fan wrote.

Senators keep their hopes alive after Game 5 win over Maple Leafs

On Tuesday, the Ottawa Senators defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-0 at Scotiabank Arena, narrowing the best-of-seven series lead to 3-2.

The first period went goalless. Entering the second period, Thomas Chabot opened the scoring for the Senators after putting them ahead 1-0 at 3:46. Dylan Cozens doubled the visitors' lead after his shorthanded goal at 8:24 in the second period made it 2-0 for Ottawa.

With less than three minutes remaining in the game, two empty-net strikes from Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk helped the Senators secure a convincing win over the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 5.

Game 6 returns to Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday.

About the author

Abhishek is an NHL writer at Sportskeeda with over 2 years of sports reporting experience and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Delhi. He became a fan of ice hockey after watching NHL fight videos on YouTube, which led to him professionally writing about the sport and his continued interest in all things hockey.

A fan of the Boston Bruins, Abhishek considers their incredible comeback win against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2013 playoffs as the most iconic moment in the NHL. His admiration for the six-time Stanley Cup winners also comes from the team’s storied history, distinctive black and gold uniform and their success in the sport. His all-time favorite NHL players are Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, for their ability to perform at the highest level consistently.

Abhishek ensures his reporting is fair and balanced by being well-researched in his details, which he expects to be relevant, up-to-date and in line with ethical standards. His specialties are doing detailed match analysis and covering fan reactions.

Abhishek enjoys music, traveling and going on walks with his three German Shepherds in his free time, along with learning about horticulture.

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Edited by Abhishek Dilta