Toronto Maple Leafs fan throws his jersey on the ice as the team gets blown out by the St. Louis Blues
The Leafs were blown out for a second straight game, this time by the Blues, and an angry fan threw a team's jersey onto the ice which created quite a stir.
After an ugly 5-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues, Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube wasn't beating around the bush when it came to how he felt about his team's play. He referenced the reckless manner his team was handling the puck, giving up odd-man rushes. Both critiques were pointed at a team that should know better. On a night when his team again struggled to start a game, Berube didn't mince words after the loss and asked for a far more disciplined, focused approach from his players going forward.
The defeat dropped Toronto back to .500, a level far below what is expected with such a star-studded roster. The result of this game was enough to provoke the strongest of reactions among the fans. One obviously frustrated fan threw his jersey onto the ice as some kind of symbolic gesture of disapproval. The jersey was lifted off the ice by a Leafs player, a silent acknowledgment of the fan's sentiment but also indicative of the increasing tension surrounding the team's struggles.
Throughout the game, Berube was at his most demonstrative when it came to the top line of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and Matthew Knies. After a defensive lapse allowed Alex Texier to score from the slot, Berube kept it firmly planted. The harshest of those critiques went to Knies, who now has a minus-6 rating over the last six periods of play. The berating from Berube reinforced just how seriously he took the early-season struggles of the Maple Leafs on defense and the improved zone coverage that was required of star players.
The slow start by the Maple Leafs has question marks surrounding the team's performance, with only eight games played. Unlike a rebuild phase team, Toronto's roster is jammed with talent, making it all the more urgent, and expected, by fans. The power play in particular has been such a letdown, and after another less-than-stellar effort, moving the power play to 3-for-27, fans got even more restless.
Still early in the season, the fans in Toronto are letting it be known that anything less than greatness won't be tolerated. In fact, the level of frustration relayed was directly indicative of the level of expectation. A level of expectation that is only going to rise as the season does. If the Leafs don't find their form soon, they can certainly expect continued and vocal feedback from their dedicated fanbase.
