‘Embarrassed’ Maple Leafs fan burns jersey after Game 5 loss

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Nobody ever has accused Leafs Nation of being the most reasonable group of fans. It’s completely understandable, considering how much pain and suffering the team has put the group through, especially in recent years.

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And, after watching the Toronto get shut out by the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night at Scotiabank Arena in Game 5 of their Battle of Ontario first-round playoff series, many fans took to social media to air their grievances.

One fan was particularly fired up.

“Honestly embarrassed to be a fan of this team but I’ve had enough. My (Auston) Matthews jersey is next,” the fan posted on X with a clip of a Mitch Marner jersey ablaze in a firepit.

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The clip, which later was shared by the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast, had been viewed more than 700,000 times combined by noon on Wednesday.

With Tuesday’s loss, the Leafs’ record in series-clinching games since 2018 has now dropped to 1-13 and they have lost six straight at home.

The team also has now gone a full hour on the power play without scoring in elimination games, a befuddling mark of 0-30 with the man advantage.

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Another user on social media posted a picture of the team’s 2014-15 squad with the caption: “The Leafs after they win 3 playoff games.”

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That season, the Leafs went 30-44-8 and finished 15th in the Eastern Conference.

Plenty of fans on social media pointed out the failures of the team’s core players, including Matthews, Marner, William Nylander, Morgan Rielly and John Tavares.

“What a joke … Leafs have no chance against a real hockey team like either Florida team, Washington, or any team out West,” one user wrote on X.

“I hope they choke and lose the next two games so we can finally blow up this roster.

“Nylander floating around, Matthews losing his scoring touch, (Rielly) the most overpaid defenceman in the league, and Mitch Marner only showing up for 2 out of 5 games.”

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Another user posted a graphic showing Matthews’ personal struggles in elimination games, highlighting the fact that he has scored zero goals in his past seven games.

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A fan account for Leafs Nation made a scathing post, calling for Nylander to be benched because of his lack of hustle on Dylan Cozens’ shorthanded goal in the third period Tuesday.

“Chief (Craig Berube) shouldn’t let Nylander see another minute of ice. Bring Robertson in, take Willy out of the lineup for a game or two. Pathetic and unacceptable,” the account posted with a clip of the back-breaking goal.

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“Blowing a 3-0 lead to a wild card team who hasn’t seen the playoffs in 10 years will be the funniest thing ever,” another user wrote.

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“What? surprised? I’ve been a fan since the ’70s … its been painful to watch!! We blamed (former owner Harold) Ballard, coaches, media, players and on and on…this is getting ridiculous!” an apparent longtime fan posted.

Despite the online criticisms, the Leafs still hold a 3-2 series lead and will have two more chances — if needed — to clinch their spot in the second round. The series shifts back to Ottawa for Game 6 on Thursday night with the puck drop set for 7 p.m.

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