Foligno calls Leafs' slow start 'unacceptable' after Game 6 loss

Nick Foligno couldn't explain how the Montreal Canadiens outplayed his Toronto Maple Leafs early in Saturday's 3-2 overtime loss in Game 6 of their first-round series.

"I can't," the forward said postgame, according to TSN's Kristen Shilton. "That's unacceptable (at) this time of year."

The veteran forward, who returned for the contest after missing the previous three with an injury, tried to put a positive spin on the defeat.

Nick Foligno said he "knows it's not what the fanbase wants to hear right now" but that sometimes situations like these, "it happens for a reason, sometimes this is what catapults you."

- Kristen Shilton (@kristen_shilton) May 30, 2021

Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe echoed Foligno's sentiments regarding the slow start.

"Obviously, we've got to be a whole lot better there," the bench boss said, according to The Athletic's James Mirtle.

Winger Mitch Marner also shared that opinion.

"We just didn't come ready to play at the start of the game," he said. "We really do have to start on time because it's getting said a lot, and it's not good enough."

Montreal outshot Toronto 15-9 in the first period, with Corey Perry and Tyler Toffoli scoring to give the Canadiens a 2-0 lead in the third. The Leafs rallied to tie it with two late markers before Jesperi Kotkaniemi won it near the end of the first overtime.

Toronto outshot Montreal 43-31 in the game, but the Habs controlled the five-on-five expected goals share 51.33% to 48.67% in the opening frame and 69.27% to 30.73% in the second, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Game 7 is scheduled for Monday at 7 p.m. ET.

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