The Toronto Maple Leafs' 5-4 shootout loss to the Carolina Hurricanes at the Scotiabank Arena on Saturday didn't just sting on the scoreboard.
It also ignited a blaze of criticism on social media. Despite an intense game , which saw John Tavares shining with a goal and an assist, fans quickly pointed fingers at the newly debuted Toronto St. Pats jerseys.
This game marked the third consecutive year the Toronto Maple Leafs hosted the Hurricanes on their St. Patrick’s Day event. However, this year's spotlight was on the team's fresh attire, revealed earlier in the week.
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Toronto Maple Leafs fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to express their frustration, blaming the loss on the distraction caused by the St. Pats jerseys, viewing them as an ill-fated change.
"Must be those hideous uniforms," one tweeted.
Here's a look at the top reactions on X:
Others were frustrated with the Toronto Maple Leafs' performance, as they couldn't capitalize after having a lead.
Adding to the Hurricanes' triumph, Aho had two goals and an assist. Brent Burns and Jake Guentzel tallied two assists apiece, while Pyotr Kochetkov produced 36 saves. The Hurricanes have an impressive 5-1-0 record in their last six games.
The Toronto Maple Leafs faced a tough stretch, going 3-1-1 in their last five. Although Ilya Samsonov shined with 36 saves, the squad needs a fresh start as they face the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday.
Hurricanes stage dramatic comeback to edge Toronto Maple Leafs 5-4 in shootout thriller
The Maple Leafs took an early lead at 4:47 of the second period when John Tavares capitalized on a breakaway, assisted by TJ Brodie. William Nylander extended it to 2-0 at 6:27 with a backhand shot over Pyotr Kochetkov's blocker.
Nicholas Robertson, playing his first game since Feb. 29, increased the Maple Leafs' lead at 12:03, assisted by Tavares. However, the Hurricanes responded, cutting the deficit at 13:27, with Jordan Martinook jamming in a rebound off a shot from Brent Burns, who marked his 1400th NHL game.
In the dying moments of the second period, Seth Jarvis pulled the Hurricanes within one on the power play at 19:57, backhanding the rebound of Jake Guentzel's shot past Ilya Samsonov's outstretched pad.
The third period saw Carolina's comeback surge. At 2:55, David Kampf scored a breakaway goal, stretching the Hurricanes' advantage to 4-2. Down by two, the Hurricanes rallied late in the game.
Sebastian Aho scored twice with the goaltender pulled for the extra attacker. He cut the lead to 4-3 at 18:28, redirecting a pass from Dmitry Orlov before tying the game 4-4 with just six seconds remaining, deflecting Burns' shot at the top of the crease.
Jake Guentzel then sealed the victory for the Hurricanes with the lone goal in the shootout, securing a hard-fought 5-4 win for Carolina.
