Despite the dry spell, fellow Maple Leafs star forwards Mitch Marner pushed back on any notion that Matthews is frustrated or off his game. “Everyone wants to produce, wants to score goals, and he hasn’t let it get him down at all,” Marner said. “His mood, his demeanor in the locker room, has been unbelievable.

Still, the Maple Leafs find themselves in the best-of-7 Eastern Conference Second Round, tied 2-2 with the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers entering a crucial Game 5 at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET; CBC, SN, TVAS, ESPN).

A 3-0 series lead over the Ottawa Senators was suddenly cut to one after the Toronto Maple Leafs lost Games 4 and 5. Berube had every reason to alter his lineup for Game 6 in a meaningful way. Instead,