Hockey fans were speechless after the Maple Leafs discovered a new, excruciating way to lose

Only the Maple Leafs would lose after a five-goal third period comeback.

The Toronto Maple Leafs really know how to put their fans through the wringer.

After years of playoff disappointments, you’d think Maple Leafs fans would be used to the epic highs and lows of Toronto hockey by now. And yet, on Thursday, the Maple Leafs found a new, agonizing way to lose a hockey game.

Headed into the third period against the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Maple Leafs were down 5-0 after actively being booed off the ice by their fans. Things weren’t looking great for the Maple Leafs when suddenly, the team started to wake up. Goals from William Nylander, Mitch Marner, Jake McCabe, and Auston Matthews quickly cut the Blue Jackets lead to 5-4.

And then, with less than a minute left in the third, Matthews tied the game 5-5 to send it to overtime!!

But unfortunately, even though the Maple Leafs got themselves back in the game to force a miraculous overtime, the Blue Jackets stole the win in the extra time off Kent Johnson’s tally.

That right there is the Maple Leafs experience in a nutshell. Absolute agony as they dig themselves into a hole, a spark of hope as they make an inexplicable comeback, then back to misery as they lose.

At least this was a regular season game — where the Maple Leafs got a point in the standings no less! — and not in the playoffs. Silver linings, perhaps?

NHL fans, on the other hand, were stunned at this latest catastrophic Maple Leafs loss after engineering a five-goal third period comeback.