SUNRISE, Fla. --The Toronto Maple Leafs are one loss away from having their season come to a crashing end.
And it's easy to explain why, even if they themselves can't.
Following a 3-2 overtime loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Second Round at FLA Live Arena on Sunday, the Maple Leafs were searching for answers, an all-too-familiar refrain for a team that has won one postseason series since 2004.
"We have no choice now," forward Auston Matthews said. "It's do-or-die. Our backs are against the wall."
Given the precarious position the Maple Leafs are in, there are bound to be plenty of similar cliches voiced ahead of Game 4 on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, CBC, SN, TVAS).
It's a far cry from eight days ago, when Toronto eliminated the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games in the first round. That victory was supposed to be the boost that would lead to further postseason success, an obstacle finally overcome.
Instead, here come the Panthers. Cue more playoff woes.
But did the first-round victory against the Lightning simply mask some of the Maple Leafs' underlying problems? Consider some of the following facts which suggest that is, in reality, the case.
Fact: Through their first nine games of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Maple Leafs have just one win in regulation, that being a 7-2 victory against the Lightning in Game 2.
Fact: Toronto is now 4-5 this postseason.
Fact: The Maple Leafs have scored two goals in each of their past five games, a startling number when you consider they have more than $40 million in salary cap space dedicated to four forwards, Matthews, Mitchell Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares, who are leaned on to produce offense. Those four forwards have combined for zero goals in the series.
Fact: The Maple Leafs led 2-0 in Game 2 and 1-0 and 2-1 in Game 3 only to see the Panthers rally to win.
Add all those facts up, and you can understand why Toronto is in dire straits.
Coach Sheldon Keefe did point out that Matthews hit the crossbar in the opening minute Sunday, something that could have changed the narrative surrounding him had it gone in. But it didn't.
Keefe also was quick to defend Marner, who arguably struggled as much as he has in a game in recent memory.
"I've said it before, you've got to give Florida credit, they played him hard," Keefe said. "Mitch is a great player, he's been a good player. He's working out there. He's trying.
"Today was a different game than the other two. Not a lot of offense out there by either team. We didn't get an abundance of looks we got the other night, so it was tough to get into a rhythm. And no power plays makes it more challenging.
"It's a team game. We need everybody to find a way to break through here."
History is not on the Maple Leafs side.
Only four teams in NHL history have come back from down 3-0 in a best-of-7 series: the Maple Leafs against the Detroit Red Wings in the 1942 Stanley Cup Final, the New York Islanders against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 1975 Stanley Cup Quarterfinals, the Philadelphia Flyers against the Boston Bruins in the 2010 Eastern Conference Semifinals, and the Los Angeles Kings against the San Jose Sharks in the 2014 Western Conference First Round.
"We need to win one game," Keefe said. "That was the mission here tonight. Let's start with one and give yourself a chance. Obviously they're in full control here. It's on us to make it uncomfortable for them and not go away."
Too little, too late?
"Still have tremendous belief in our group," Keefe said. "We just lost three games in a row. Florida won three games in a row. If we win three in a row, we put ourselves in a position for a Game 7. That would be the goal for us, but obviously it starts with one win."
One of the few bright spots for the Maple Leafs in Game 3 was rookie goalie Joseph Woll, who came into the game just 37 seconds into the second period after Ilya Samsonov was injured following a collision with teammate Luke Schenn.
The 24-year-old made 18 saves, many of the spectacular variety, but he had no chance on Sam Reinhart's wraparound at 3:02 of overtime.
Afterward, Woll gave credit to Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, who has allowed just six goals on 97 shots (.938 save percentage) so far in the series.
"I think we've been playing pretty good offense. I think Bobrovsky's played well," Woll said. "I like the offense we've been generating. Sometimes games don't go your way.
"I have all the faith in this team. It doesn't matter what the score in this series is or looks like, I have a lot of belief in this team, and there's a lot of belief in this locker room."
