Toronto Maple Leafs fans have criticized reporter Steve Simmons after his question to Auston Matthews following the team’s 5-4 overtime loss to the Buffalo Sabres.
Matthews scored during Thursday’s game, but Toronto surrendered a two-goal lead before losing in overtime. After the defeat, Simmons asked the Maple Leafs captain whether his goal involved the highest jump he had ever made on the ice.
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Matthews appeared unimpressed by the question and delivered a brief response.
“I don’t know, Steve… just tried to make a play. That’s about it,” Matthews said.
The exchange caught the attention of Maple Leafs fans online. Several questioned Simmons’ choice of topic after Toronto suffered a frustrating loss.
One fan criticized the reporter, writing, “What a stupid question to ask after you just lost a game like that.”
Another fan suggested Matthews was unhappy with Simmons, saying, “He hates Steve Simmons so much.”
A fan wrote, “Atp it’s impressive Simmons even tries to ask him anything. Give it up Steve.”
A fourth fan said, “Gotta be one of the dumbest questions I’ve heard… Especially after an L.”
Referring to Matthews’ short answer, a fan said, “Lol he hates that guy.”
One fan reacted, saying, “How the hell does Steve still have a job covering the leafs. I’ve never seen a group of athletes hate a singular reporter so much!”
The reaction reflected the frustration surrounding Toronto’s defeat and the timing of the postgame question.
Maple Leafs collapse after taking a two-goal lead
Matthews found the net as Toronto built a 4-2 advantage against Buffalo. Kirill Marchenko scored a hat trick, including the goal that put the Maple Leafs ahead late in the second period. However, the Sabres responded with two third-period goals to force overtime. Dennis Gilbert and Mattias Samuelsson scored as Buffalo erased Toronto’s advantage.
Owen Power then sealed the comeback at 3:14 of overtime, beating Sergei Bobrovsky to give the Sabres a 5-4 victory.
Matthews’ goal was one of the bright spots in a disappointing result for Toronto. The Maple Leafs also lost John Tavares to an injury early in the third period after a collision with Josh Norris.
With the defeat fresh in the team’s minds, Simmons’ question shifted attention toward the postgame media exchange.
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Matthews kept his answer short and avoided expanding on the subject. Fans, however, made their opinions clear online, questioning whether the question matched the moment after Toronto’s costly collapse.
The Maple Leafs will look to respond when they host the New York Islanders on Saturday.
