Maple Leafs Stars Appear to Squabble on Bench During Game 4 Loss to Bruins

Patrick Andres | Apr 28, 2024

Apr 24, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner (16). / John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Toronto Maple Leafs have made eight consecutive playoff appearances since 2017, the first time they've done that as a franchise in over four decades.

Yet the team has staggeringly little to show for their efforts. The Maple Leafs have advanced to the second round of the postseason just once since 2004—last season, when they were swiftly dismissed by the Florida Panthers.

Frustration has set in for Toronto's fans, and it seems that frustration has extended to the Maple Leafs themselves. As Toronto lost Game 3 of its first-round series 3–1 to the Boston Bruins on Saturday evening, several of the Maple Leafs' stars appeared to argue on the bench.

Frustration has started to set in for the Maple Leafs stars 😠 pic.twitter.com/PbnQBNigKD

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 28, 2024

Forwards Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner were shown in an animated discussion, after which forward William Nylander appeared to tell one or both to "stop f---ing crying, bro. This isn't f---ing juniors."

Marner later spiked his gloves in frustration, defending his actions postgame.

Marner: "We're not yelling at each other because we hate each other."

— James Mirtle (@mirtle) April 28, 2024

All three players have votes for hockey's major awards to their names over the course of their careers. Whether they can scrape together three wins to stun the Bruins and advance remains to be seen.