Leafs try to block out the noise facing elimination: ‘We don’t listen to you guys’
Global News
Mitch Marner has repeatedly pointed out how little attention he pays to anything that doesn't emanate from inside the Maple Leafs' orbit.
Mitch Marner has repeatedly pointed out how little attention he pays to anything that doesn’t emanate from inside the Maple Leafs’ orbit.
The winger insists he stays off social media and doesn’t read or watch what’s being written or said.
With the pressure mounting, the fan base in a hockey-mad city panicking, and his team facing elimination down 3-0 in their second-round playoff series with the Florida Panthers, that tune hasn’t changed.
“We don’t care what you (reporters) say,” Toronto’s under-fire and underperforming star said sharply Tuesday following the team’s practice at FLA Live Arena. “We don’t listen to you guys outside of this locker room.
“We’re just focused on ourselves and this group in here.”
That group has a near-impossible challenge ahead.
After overcoming a painful post-season past that included a number of crushing disappointments, including six straight series defeats, the Leafs got a gorilla off their collective back when they downed the Tampa Bay Lightning in the opening round to advance for the first time since 2004.
A lot has happened — and not happened — in the 10 days since.
