From the ice to the analyst’s table, former NHL star-turned-ESPN hockey expert P. K. Subban is as knowledgeable as they come. Yet, even experts like Subban probably didn’t think the Florida Panthers would beat the Toronto Maple Leafs this badly, that too inside Scotiabank Arena. Unfortunately for the Atlantic Division toppers, that’s exactly what happened as the Panthers beat them 6-1 in Game 5.

And after the Leafs’ faithful expressed their frustration by chucking jerseys on the ice, Subban didn’t have anything nice to say. “They’ve had two series wins in 21 years. In the past 11 years, they’ve had one.” Subban told his fellow panellists during the post-game. Another win came against Ottawa this year in Round 1, where they nearly blew a 3-0 series lead. Then they took a commanding lead over the Panthers in Round 2. And just when it seemed that the Leafs may finally break the mould this year, the Panthers won three in a row. Subban’s frustration on TV was palpable.

“Brendan Shanahan has got to be asking himself, ‘What do I have to do?’ But he also has to look at himself in the mirror. He’s went out and acquired all these coaches, GMs… Put these players in this position. It hasn’t worked out,” said Subban, but he wasn’t done. “This can’t happen. If they lose this series, there has to be a change. There has to be a change in leadership there,” the analyst said about the Toronto Maple Leafs’ president.

Looking back, Brendan Shanahan has indeed made multiple changes since becoming president in April 2014. The GMs who’ve tried to give the Leafs an edge in the last 10 years include Dave Nonis, Lou Lamoriello, Kyle Dubas, and Brad Treliving. The head coaches list includes Randy Carlyle, Peter Horachek, Mike Babcock, Sheldon Keefe, and now, Craig Berube.

What do the Toronto Maple Leafs have to show for all these changes? Just two playoff round victories, when counting their win against Ottawa. So it’s no wonder that P. K. Subban was so charged up when recounting the shortcomings of the Maple Leafs. “It’s not about pointing fingers. These are facts, guys. These are facts. It’s unacceptable,” added the analyst. But what did the Leafs think of their own game tonight?

The Toronto Maple Leafs respond

While P. K. Subban helped hold a mirror up to the whole Leafs leadership, they were introspecting as well. The players took the loss especially hard. After all, seeing your fans throw away their jerseys mid-game is not a sight any NHL player wants to witness. Yet, that’s what Auston Matthews and the other Leafs stars had to go through. Matthews looked devastated during the post-game interview.

“Everybody’s got to look in the mirror, myself included,” the Toronto Maple Leafs captain told the media. “Everybody wants to be better. Everybody wants to obviously win. We’ve been a great road team all season long. There’s always going to be a belief in this group,” Matthews added. Despite their three-game losing streak, Matthews also knows that they still have a chance, however bleak.

If the Leafs win Game 6, then they can force the series to Game 7. “It’s got to be our best game of the year,” Auston Matthews said about their upcoming game against the defending champs. Coach Berube also believed that his team was the one who fumbled the puck. While the Panthers pressed their dominance, Berube thought that the Leafs didn’t show any gusto.

“I don’t think they came any harder than they have, to be honest with you… We stood around and watched. You can’t do that,” explained the coach. The Toronto Maple Leafs coach also said that they have responded to the Panthers’ pressure. In fact, they pushed back as recently as Game 3, which may have easily gone the Leafs’ way if not for Sergei Bobrovsky’s excellent overtime goaltending. “I expect a response from our team. But it is more about a mindset going into this Game 6,” added Craig Berube. Now, only time will tell if the Leafs find that response in time.