Ex-Maple Leafs Enforcer Sends Controversial Message to Leafs Nation Ahead of Playoffs

The Toronto Maple Leafs are coming off an impressive victory against the Florida Panthers, which further extended their lead in the Atlantic Division.

One standout player in the game was Anthony Stolarz, whose strong performance earned him a second consecutive start tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets. This indicates that the Maple Leafs have a lot of trust in Stolarz and may point to him as the starting goalie for Game 1 of the playoffs.

As the Maple Leafs continue their dominant play, former enforcer Jay Rosehill raised a controversial point on the Leafs Morning Take podcast. As per TheLeafsNation on X:

His statement seemed very pointed, considering the fact that the Maple Leafs currently hold a 46-25-4 record with 96 points. It's hard to complain about a team that is at the top of the division. Still, fans continue to question how deep the team can go due to the presence of Florida and Tampa Bay in the East.

To help support Rosehill's sentiments, trade deadline acquisition Brandon Carlo has been outstanding since joining the Leafs. On and off the ice, he has seamlessly integrated into the team, even forming some tremendous chemistry with Morgan Rielly.

Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews have also been dominant lately, stepping up when needed and driving the team to victories. Their leadership has been recognized by teammates, which comes at a perfect time right before the playoffs.

More than anything else, Rosehill simply wants to see the fan base rally around the team the same way other fan bases rally around their own NHL teams, showing their unwavering support outwardly.

Yes, the Leafs have a long history of disappointment, but Rosehill may be onto something here. Unwavering support can go a long way in helping to motivate the team, rather than breaking them down and putting such immense pressure on them. We'll have to see which way the crowd goes Come playoff time, but if the team is winning, I have a feeling the crowd will be more behind them than ever before.