In the latest episode of the “32 Thoughts” podcast, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman delivered a frank assessment of the Toronto Maple Leafs following their Game 4 loss to the Boston Bruins.
“Game 4 was a low moment,” Friedman said. “[The Maple Leafs] deserved to get booed off the ice. The fans who paid that much for those tickets have every right to boo them.”
The Maple Leafs, who were indeed booed off the ice after the second period by their home crowd at Scotiabank Arena, trail the best-of-seven series 3-1 and are on the brink of elimination – and that’s just the tip of the iceberg in Toronto.
Friedman: ‘This Is the End’ for Maple Leafs’ Core 4
During the second period of Game 4, Sportsnet’s cameras caught a heated exchange between a trio of Toronto’s superstar forwards – Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander. The three were sniping at one another on the bench, creating a viral moment that symbolized yet another Maple Leafs Stanley Cup bid unraveling.
Matthews, Marner, Nylander and captain John Tavares comprise the Maple Leafs’ “Core Four,” a group that is bursting with star power yet has just one playoff series win together since 2016-17. Friedman cautioned in his podcast that, unless the Maple Leafs are able to complete the comeback and win the series against Boston, it could spell the end of the Core Four in Toronto:
Them snapping at each other on the bench – Marner, Matthews, Nylander – we have not seen that from this group of players. Yes, you see it all the time; but they’ve been together basically since 2016-17, and we’ve never seen that before from them. And to see it in this moment, there’s only two ways to go. One is you just completely falter, you fall apart and you go down quietly. Or two, you rally and you use it as a point where you come back and say, ‘Okay, we hit rock bottom; now, we’re going to prove we’re on the way back.’ And there really is no other option for them than to do that because this is the end for this group if they don’t pull off the big comeback here.
With Marner and Tavares set to become unrestricted free agents after the 2024-25 season, the Maple Leafs will be faced with some difficult decisions regarding whether or not to keep the group together. After all, Toronto has dedicated more than half its salary cap to the four star forwards.
“You always bet on talent and assume they’re going to figure it out,” Friedman said. “I don’t think they can do that here anymore. Number one, Marner’s contract – he’s got one more year; that’s going to force you into a decision. Tavares’ contract’s got one more year; that’s going to force you into a decision… So this is their last chance to prove that they should stay together, and on Monday morning as you listen to this, it is hanging by a thread.”
Matthews’ Game 5 Status Remains Unknown
Complicating things further for the Maple Leafs as they face elimination is the fact that Matthews may not even be healthy enough to play in Game 5.
Matthews did not come out for the third period in the Maple Leafs’ 3-1 loss to the Bruins in Game 4. After the game, Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe said team doctors had pulled Matthews due to a lingering illness. His status for Game 5 remains unknown.
“I’m going to be careful until I know anything here, but it is weird,” Friedman said. “The rumor was food poisoning or some kind of viral bug. But listening to Sheldon Keefe talk on Sunday, it sounds like now they’re not really sure; it’s worse than they thought. So we’re all going to watch and see if Matthews is capable of playing.”
Toronto’s top center did not practice with the team Monday but was expected be on the trip to Boston. A decision on his status will be made at some point before Game 5.
The Maple Leafs will go on the road to face the Bruins in a do-or-die game on April 30. They will need to win three straight games to eliminate Boston and advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Matthews’ status remains in question, but perhaps the bigger question is whether we’ve seen the last of the Core Four in Toronto.
“There’s no question we’re on the precipice of the end of an era in Toronto,” Friedman said. “I think a lot of people will be surprised that it didn’t have more success than it should’ve.”
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