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We鈥檝e seen this happen before: When all of Leafs Nation is partaking in their social-media desecration, the Leafs have historically found a supply of on-ice desperation. When all appears lost, the Leafs have defied expectations and won聽鈥� never a series, mind you, but at least a game or two.

Nobody is saying that鈥檚 acceptable, and nobody鈥檚 making a prediction. It鈥檚 merely an observation of a recurring peculiarity of a flawed team on its ninth playoff run that looks poised to underachieve in the same way it so often has. It鈥檚 only after they鈥檝e been written off that the Leafs decide it鈥檚 game on.

A year ago around this time, the Leafs were booed off the ice in Game 4 of their first-round tilt with the Bruins. That鈥檚 the loss that put them down 3-1 in a series that more than one observer declared as the death knell of the Core Four, what with the video evidence of on-the-bench bickering between William Nylander, Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews.

But just when the team鈥檚 dysfunction was laid bare and its obituary was being prepared, the Leafs went out and won Games 5 and 6. The ultimate letdown didn鈥檛 commence until David Pastrnak got loose for an overtime goal in Game 7.

Two years ago against the Panthers, the Leafs came into their second-round series as Stanley Cup favourites before promptly performing the ugliest of faceplants. But after they plummeted into a 3-0 series hole聽鈥� and after they were rightly ridiculed for a gutless no-show in Game 3聽鈥� the Leafs actually played halfway credibly, winning Game 4 before losing in overtime in Game 5 to the eventual Cup finalists.

Back in 2018, too, the Leafs dug themselves out of a 3-1 series hole to the Bruins to force a Game 7. And it probably goes without saying that, in that instance, too, they didn鈥檛 win the series.

Still, in all three of those examples they prolonged it, which is Friday night鈥檚 only assignment in Game 6 at Amerant Bank Arena. Not that it will be easy, following up what鈥檚 probably the worst big-game performance of the Shanaplan era with a victory over one of the best teams in the sport. But with this Maple Leafs squad, a win wouldn鈥檛 be a shock.

What may or may not make the assignment more difficult that is that on Thursday Panthers coach Paul Maurice was publicly reminding his team of what happened in 2023.

鈥淲e had a 3-0 series lead at home and wanted it so bad that we tried to make it happen every time we touched the puck. We were just throwing hope plays,鈥� Maurice said. 鈥淚f you learn something, you usually don鈥檛 forget it.鈥�

With that said, these same Panthers took a 3-0 lead in last year鈥檚 Stanley Cup final and needed Game 7 to close the deal against the Oilers. Either the Panthers are susceptible to taking their collective eye off the ball; heck, as they ran up the score in Wednesday鈥檚 blowout, Florida鈥檚 players were openly laughing in glee. Or perhaps they have made the mistake enough to be convinced of the dangers of repeating it. Even Maurice acknowledged he can鈥檛 be sure which is true.

鈥淲e thought we learned (the lesson) two years ago, and then forgot it for three straight games in the final last year,鈥� Maurice said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 nothing you get to keep. It鈥檚 something you have to live through and maybe you鈥檒l recall pieces of it.鈥�

As for the Leafs, Berube blamed his team鈥檚 penchant for 鈥渙verthinking things鈥� for Wednesday鈥檚 lifelessness.

鈥淵ou get in your head and you鈥檙e worrying too much about the results and you鈥檙e not focused on the process,鈥� he said.

If the weight of Toronto鈥檚 lack of playoff results is the problem, maybe a blowout loss in Game 5 alleviates the pressure. Now that almost nobody expects anything, history suggests it鈥檚 a decent bet the Leafs will show us something. Whether or not it鈥檒l even remotely change how the world sees them will depend on if they can show it twice.