Just over a week ago, the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrated their first playoff series win in 19 years. Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and the rest of the team were flying high after breaking what felt like an unbreakable curse.

It marked a huge step for a team who had built a reputation around first round failure. Then with the record-setting Boston Bruins being upset by the Florida Panthers, it looked like the Maple Leafs had lucked into an ideal second round matchup. Fans who had chanted “We Want Florida” outside Scotiabank Arena got their wish.

However, flash forward and the Maple Leafs now find themselves on the verge of elimination. Down 3-0 to the Panthers, a reverse-sweep is needed for Toronto to recover.

Heading into what needs to be their first of four must-win games in a row, we look at keys for the Maple Leafs to battle back.

Maple Leafs' Core Four Must Perform

Game 3 was a disaster for Toronto's top forwards. The ‘Core Four' of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares and William Nylander didn't provide anywhere near the impact they needed to.

Matthews, Marner and Tavares each had just two shots on goal. William Nylander only had a single shot but was arguably the best of the group, and he registered only his first point in the last five games. Tavares doesn't have a point in the second round so far, while Marner has a single assist in his last four games.

The Maple Leafs do not have a single goal from any of Matthews, Marner, Tavares or Nylander in their three playoff games against the Panthers.

What's perhaps the most jarring is the comparison to other teams. Just look at the Edmonton Oilers, where the team rarely has to question that their top players will show up. Connor McDavid has 15 points in nine games, while Leon Draisaitl has 13 goals already. Game 3 against the Vegas Golden Knights was the first 2023 playoff game in which Draisaitl didn't register a point. McDavid has gone pointless only twice this postseason.

Meanwhile, the Carolina Hurricanes are missing three of their top five forwards. However, Sebastian Aho continues to lead his team offensively, picking up the slack when needed.

For a team built around high-end offense, the Maple Leafs aren't getting any at the most important time of the year. It's not a lack of talent. The effort and consistency just aren't there when it matters. Now with their season on the line, you have to wonder if any of the top forwards are about to play their final game(s) as a Maple Leaf.

Quality Goaltending

With Ilya Samsonov injured in Game 3, who will start Game 4 remains unknown.

If Samsonov is ready to go, then obviously, there's not much of a question. If not though, the Maple Leafs will likely be putting their faith in Joseph Woll.

Woll played the back half of Game 3, allowing three goals on 21 shots. To this point, the 24-year-old has played 11 career NHL regular season games. That said, he did put up great numbers with the AHL's Toronto Marlies this season, posting a .927 save percentage in 21 games. Through his 11 regular season NHL games, he's also posted a .924 save percentage.

There's also the option to turn to Matt Murray, who hasn't played a game since early April. Playoff experience is one thing, but throwing Murray in cold still seems incredibly unlikely.

Regardless, the team will almost certainly be relying on a goalie who isn't at 100 percent, a goalie who's barely played double-digit NHL games, or a goalie who hasn't played in a month.

Meanwhile at the other end, Sergei Bobrosky has been rock solid. The netminder has posted a .938 save percentage over his three games against Toronto.

No matter who's in net for the Maple Leafs, there's a lot riding on a big performance.

Complete Effort

More than anything, the Maple Leafs desperately need a full, sixty-minute effort.

In Game 1, Toronto came out a bit slow and found themselves in a two-goal hole early. Game 2 was their best effort of the series, but a lapse early in the second period made the difference. Then in Game 3, the Maple Leafs were outplayed through the majority of the first 40 minutes, with their top players invisible, and blew two different leads.

Whether it's a broader issue of not having key personnel have the impact they need to or simple mistakes that end up costing the team, we have yet to see a complete effort. After going down 2-0 and essentially needing a win to get back into the series, there was a complete lack of urgency from much of the team in Game 3.

With a reputation of losing big games when it counts, this is a chance for the team to right the wrongs. Managing to battle back from a 3-0 series deficit has only been done four times in NHL history. The Maple Leafs won't be able to do it without a drastically different effort from what we saw in Game 3.

If they can pull it off, any questions of their playoff shortcoming will be gone. If not, we could see major changes this offseason.