Brad Marchand Comes to Defense of Maple Leafs

Brad Marchand is coming to the Toronto Maple Leafs' defense following another postseason failure.

May 18, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand (63) controls the puck against Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson (95) during the second period of game seven of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images / John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The Toronto Maple Leafs may have forced a Game 7 against the Florida Panthers, but they failed to make an impact on home ice, losing by a score of 6-1. While many in the crowd departed Scotiabank Arena before the final horn, those that stuck around to jeer the Maple Leafs featuring numerous jerseys being tossed onto the ice.

While that kind of reaction seems harsh, the Maple Leafs are going on a decade of failing to come anywhere near expectations with their current core of superstars. With nine consecutive playoff appearances, they have only totaled four wins in the second round.

Noted Maple Leafs killer Brad Marchand came to the defense of the Toronto players. A former Boston Bruin turned Panthers who is a perfect 5-0 against the Maple Leafs in the playoffs spoke on how the Toronto faithful adds an unfair amount of pressure to their team.

"When you see the pressure Toronto faces... they just beat the pressure into this team."

Brad Marchand says the Toronto fans and media put extra pressure on the team. pic.twitter.com/rX5SHyNytm

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) May 19, 2025

“When you see the pressure that Toronto faces,” Marchand said on Maple Leafs fans. “They just beat the pressure into this team. It’s got to be tough on those guys to walk to the rink every day and not feel that.”

Marchand noted how brutal the remaining crowd acted for the final minutes of Game 7. The booing, the jerseys, and the clear disdain showed for the players, it’s hard for any team to not carry that with them.

“You see the way the fans treat them at the end,” Marchand said. “How do you not feel that every single day?”

The Panthers are a good team, they’re the reigning Stanley Cup champions for a reason, and only got better by adding Marchand. The long-time Bruin was already a Stanley Cup champion before arriving in Florida and has multiple other Cup Final appearances on his resume.

Marchand says that the Maple Leafs have never experienced high pressure situations like he or the Panthers have. Marchand wasn’t a member of the Panthers last year, but referred to them almost blowing a 3-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final to the Edmonton Oilers.

“When you win a Cup, and you play in some of the games that this team played in last year,” Marchand said. “These are not high-pressure games. When you’re playing for an actual Cup, and you give up a three-game lead, and then you’re in Game 7, that’s a high-pressure game, right?”

Marchand did note that any Game 7 is a high-pressure game, but it’s not even close in comparison to what teams like the Panthers or Bruins have felt over the years. The Maple Leafs fan base adds massive amounts of unnecessary pressure to the team, making every loss feel like a colossal failure.

Maple Leafs fans are passionate, they want to see their team succeed more than anything. Not even reaching the Stanley Cup Final since 1967 weighs heavy in Toronto. Four superstar players like Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and John Tavares should bring huge success, but they’ve fallen well short each and every year.

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