Toronto Maple Leafs supporters are among the most passionate in all of sports. Having gone without a Stanley Cup championship since 1967 has only exasperated the desire from fans to see success from their team.

When the Maple Leafs perform well, fans are typically quite pleased, however, when things turn sour, the fan base does not hesitate to call out those responsible. The pressure of a championship-starved fanbase can be a lot for players to handle, so much so that Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk admitted he feels bad for players in Toronto after Sunday's Game 7.

During an appearance on the Spittin' Chiclets podcast, Tkachuk acknowledged just how much pressure and scrutiny Maple Leafs players face, noting it's a stark contrast to the treatment of players in Sunrise, Fla.

"Sometimes you feel bad for [the Maple Leafs] because they have some unbelievable players and a great team. I was actually saying this last night to some of the guys, if their team was not in Toronto dealing with all the crazy circus stuff outside of it, they'd be an unbelievable team and such a hard team to play. They just have so much to deal with and I feel bad. We don't have to deal with that in Florida, I feel like that's what makes me and my team so lucky," Tkachuk said.

The Maple Leafs' run of early playoff exits has only furthered fans' desire to see the team lift Lord Stanley's Cup, but the added pressure that such a passionate fan base brings is something Tkachuk thinks Florida was able to capitalize on.

"You almost use that against them. The pressure that these guys have to deal with day and in day out... They definitely didn't lay an egg at all, they played us well, they took us to Game 7," he added.

The scrutiny was plain to see throughout the series, too. When Toronto struggled, they were often met with boos from their fans, some of whom even ripped off their Maple Leafs jerseys and heaved them onto the ice. Things like that can certainly add up over time, and while fans have the right to be disappointed by the team's shortcomings, their response only serves to make the situation more difficult for the players on the team.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Matthew Tkachuk Explains Why He Feels Bad for Maple Leafs After Beating Them in Game 7.

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