If there's anything Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube wants to see out of his players in a do-or-die Game 6 against the Florida Panthers, it's that they're not overthinking things.

Because that's what he saw from his Maple Leafs team throughout their 6-1 Game 5 loss on Wednesday night.

"It's obviously disappointing for everybody, players included. They want to do well. They want to do the right thing," Berube said the morning after Toronto's Game 5 blowout loss, which had fans exiting the building at all points of the game.

"But sometimes, when you go into a game and it's a big game and we're at home, we just overthink things. You got to trust your structure and your system, so then that takes care of the thinking, and then it's just about playing."

The core of this Maple Leafs team, though, has consistently been through this scenario. Whenever a massive, series-shifting game lies ahead of them, Toronto's stars move silently into the shadows.

‘I Don’t Think We Gave Them Much Reason To Stick Around’: Auston Matthews, Maple Leafs React To Boos, Fans Leaving During Game 5 Blowout By the time the Florida Panthers scored their sixth goal midway through the third period on Wednesday night, Scotiabank Arena had become a sea of empty seats. However, fans began the booing and heading for the exits late in the second period when Florida made it 4-0.

During the first period of Wednesday's loss, the Maple Leafs were outshot by the Panthers 13-6. Toronto got better as the game continued, but it was too late. The Panthers were up 4-0 after two periods, and there were no signs the Maple Leafs would stage a comeback.

How does Toronto overthink things in one of their biggest games of recent memory?

"Just probably you get in your head, you're worrying too much about the results and not focusing on the process. Like, that's where that comes from for me," Berube said.

Maple Leafs Unable To Recover From Terrible Game 5 Start, Face Elimination Heading To Florida The Toronto Maple Leafs had every reason to be fired up for Game 5 of their second-round series against the Florida Panthers. But when the puck dropped, the club looked flat, struggling to score and losing crucial puck battles.

How can Toronto's head coach pull them out of overthinking their game?

"You can't go out and play the game and focus on what you hope the results are going to be. You have to go out and focus on what you need to do to get results. That's the most important thing," Berube said.

"This type of series that we're playing in, you have to do things a certain way against this team. It takes compete. It takes puck battles. You have to have second and third effort all over the ice.

"That's the stuff that we need to focus on tomorrow going into the game. Those are the types of things that you need to focus on going in that game tomorrow, second and third effort, aggressiveness, numbers, compete, that's what they should be focused on."

Maple Leafs Fans Toss Jerseys Onto The Ice During Game 5 Debacle Against Panthers At Scotiabank Arena There was supposed to be a strong pushback on home ice from the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 5 after dropping two straight to the Florida Panthers, evening up the second-round series. Instead, it turned into one of the most humiliating playoff performances in the ‘Core Four’ era, and the frustration boiled over from the club’s fans accordingly. 

However, this is the Panthers we're talking about; the defending Stanley Cup Champions, who look more powerful than they did during their run last year. If the Maple Leafs want to win two straight games, they need to bring everything that Berube said, and more.

"We've got to go down there, we've got to play our best game, and that's what we're focused on," Morgan Rielly added.

"We can dwell on all kinds of things, be upset about effort or whatever, but I believe that this team cares, and we're in a position now to go down there and win a very important game for our team."

'Definitely An Issue We Got To Talk About': Will The Maple Leafs Scratch Max Domi After Repeated Undisciplined Penalties? Toronto Maple Leafs forward Max Domi was <a href="https://x.com/TicTacTOmar/status/1922812450308554774">in disbelief when his slash</a> on Matthew Tkachuk was called midway through the second period of their 6-1 loss to the Florida Panthers.

This could be it for the Maple Leafs' core players. Mitch Marner and John Tavares are on expiring deals. Tavares has expressed his desire to stay, but does Toronto bring back Marner if they lose? In this fashion?

Everything remains in the balance, including Toronto's playoff hopes. Berube can only say so much to his players. At this point, it's up to them to execute. And that's what the rest of Toronto hopes for in Game 6 in Florida.

"We'll be a lot better in Game 6," Berube said.

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