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Two years ago, Toronto Maple Leafs fans learned the hard way to be careful what you ask for.
Rather than renew a longstanding, and recently one-sided, playoff rivalry with the Boston Bruins, a gathered crowd outside of Scotiabank Arena infamously chanted "We want Florida!" in unison shortly after the Leafs eliminated the Tampa Bay Lightning from the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Panthers obliged, rallying from a 3-1 series deficit and shocking Boston in overtime of Game 7 when Carter Verhaeghe delivered the winning goal. Florida proceeded to send the Leafs packing in the second round, winning three times in Toronto and clinching the series in five games via Nick Cousins' OT heroics.
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"Nobody in the world thought we were going to be in this position," Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk told reporters following the Panthers' previous triumph in Toronto. "We don't care what anybody's opinion is."
It's safe to assume those feelings have since changed a bit, considering Florida's postseason pedigree. The defending champion Panthers, who advanced beyond the first round for the fourth straight year and has won eight of their last nine series overall, square off with the Leafs in a best-of-seven beginning at 8 p.m. Monday for the Atlantic Division crown.
Toronto will have home ice advantage after tallying 108 points during the regular season — 10 more than the Panthers, who won three of the four head-to-head meetings.
Both teams survived regional rivalries in Round 1. Florida outscored the Tampa Bay Lightning 19-12 in a five-game romp, and Toronto slammed the door on the Ottawa Senators' comeback bid Thursday with a 4-2 road win to take the series in six.
Here are five things to know ahead of the second all-time postseason matchup between the Panthers and the Maple Leafs.
The NHL's Department of Player Safety issued Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad a two-game suspension for a direct blow to the head of Lightning forward Brandon Hagel with an extended elbow during the second period of Game 4. It will carry over to Monday's series opener in Toronto.
Ekblad, the No. 1 pick of the 2014 NHL draft and a pending unrestricted free agent, missed the first two games of the Tampa series while completing a 20-game suspension for violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA performance-enhancing substances program.
"I'll be consistent. I believed with any potential suspension, that's not my job," Florida coach Paul Maurice said. "This would be viewed in our room as an injury. It would be viewed no different from Sam Bennett breaking his finger last year in the Tampa series and missing five games.
"You're going to have really good players come in and out of your lineup. Unfortunately, we've missed (Ekblad) 22 of the past 24 games. He didn't play anyway so we're not used to him being in our lineup anyway. Fortunately, we have that experience now."
Ekblad returned for Game 3 but had a minus-4 rating in a 5-1 defeat. He tied Game 4 with less than four minutes to play in the third period, and Seth Jones gave the Panthers the lead for good just 11 seconds later.
Toronto pinched a few of the Panthers' depth pieces last summer, fortifying weaknesses in the net and the right side of defense with the additions of Anthony Stolarz and Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
Stolarz, signed to a two-year, $5 million deal, made a career-high 33 starts during the regular season for the Leafs and posted a league-best .926 save percentage. He finished third in the NHL in goals-against average (2.14), trailing only Vezina Trophy favorite Connor Hellebuyck (2.01) and Los Angeles Kings stalwart Darcy Kuemper (2.02).
The 31-year-old Stolarz has been solid between the pipes during the postseason, stopping 128 of the Senators' 142 shots (.901 save percentage) with a 2.21 GAA.
Ekman-Larsson, who penned a four-year, $14 million contract, scored twice against Ottawa — including the Game 1 opener at the 7:09 mark. The 33-year-old played more than 19 minutes per game in the first round, partnering Simon Benoit on the Leafs' third pair and occupying secondary roles on both the power play and the penalty kill.
Not-so-affectionately known around the National Hockey League as the "Little Ball of Hate," Brad Marchand draws particular ire from the Maple Leafs — and with good reason. The longtime Bruin has tormented Toronto for more than a decade.
Marchand has posted 58 points (21 goals, 37 assists) in 59 regular-season games against the Leafs; he's only been more proficient against Buffalo (68 points in 66 games) throughout his 16-year NHL career.
He's kicked it up a notch at Toronto's expense in the playoffs, too. In the last three postseason head-to-head showdowns between the Bruins and the Leafs, Marchand contributed 26 points (10 goals, 16 assists) as Boston prevailed in seven games on each occasion.
Acquired by Panthers general manager Bill Zito for a conditional 2027 second-round pick, which elevates to a first-rounder if Florida wins this series, Marchand dished out four helpers in the five games against the Lightning. He and linemates Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen carried a team-best 56.7% expected goals share at five-on-five, according to hockey analytics site MoneyPuck.
Special teams tipped the scales tremendously in the Panthers' favor against their in-state rival.
Sergei Bobrovsky and Florida's PK unit stymied the star-studded Tampa Bay power play, getting the kill on 16 of 18 chances — including 15 consecutive kills between Games 1 and 5. The Lightning converted at a 25.9% rate during the regular season, good for fifth in the NHL, and led the league at 3.56 goals per game.
Florida erased Art Ross Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov for the second straight year, limiting the league's leading scorer to just four assists. Jake Guentzel notched a team-high six points but had a minus-3 rating, Brayden Point produced just two goals and Brandon Hagel was held scoreless in his three appearances, missing a game apiece to suspension and injury.
"That's how you win series. You need your PK to be on point," Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling told reporters after Game 5.
Matthew Tkachuk, by contrast, equaled the Lightning's power-play goal total singlehandedly in Game 1 alone — after missing the previous 25 games due to a lower-body injury sustained during the 4 Nations Face-Off. The Panthers finished a respectable 4-of-12 (25%) on the power play for the series.
Toronto frequently rolls out five forwards on its top power-play unit — Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Matthew Knies and John Tavares. The Leafs connected six times (35.3%) on the power play against the Senators but surrendered a pair of shorthanded goals.
No team in the Stanley Cup Playoffs faces more scrutiny and is under more pressure to win than the Maple Leafs, especially considering this could be the last chance for the so-called 'Core Four' — Matthews, Marner, Nylander and Tavares — to get over the hump.
Toronto has competed in the playoffs each season since 2016-17 but advanced beyond the first round just twice. The Maple Leafs have not qualified for the Eastern Conference Final since 2001-02, and the franchise is starved to end a 58-year Stanley Cup drought.
Matthews, the Arizona-born superstar who has twice eclipsed the 60-goal mark, is signed through 2027-28 at an average salary cap hit of $13.25 million. Nylander, who has nine points so far this postseason, is locked up through 2031-32 on a contract with an average annual value of $11.5 million.
Marner and Tavares, on the other hand, are due to enter unrestricted free agency on July 1.
Marner, 27, led the Leafs with 102 points during the regular season but has been criticized in the past for the team's postseason shortcomings; he has 58 points in 63 career Stanley Cup Playoff games. He stands to earn a raise on his current contract ($10.903 million AAV) should he hit the open market.
Tavares turns 35 in September, but the former captain had his highest goal return (38) since his debut season in Toronto back in 2018-19. He is in the final year of a seven-year, $77 million deal.
Toronto will get some relief as the NHL's salary cap rises to $92.4 million in the summer, but it has made long-term investments on defense for the likes of Morgan Rielly, Chris Tanev, Jake McCabe and Ekman-Larsson. Additionally, 22-year-old winger Knies needs a new deal as a restricted free agent following a 29-goal, 29-assist breakout campaign.
There is only so much cap room, and only so much patience in Toronto for repeated failures. Another exit at the hands of the Panthers could result in a major shakeup.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Florida Panthers vs. Toronto Maple Leafs: Playoff series fast fact
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Rather than renew a longstanding, and recently one-sided, playoff rivalry with the Boston Bruins, a gathered crowd outside of Scotiabank Arena infamously chanted "We want Florida!" in unison shortly after the Leafs eliminated the Tampa Bay Lightning from the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Panthers obliged, rallying from a 3-1 series deficit and shocking Boston in overtime of Game 7 when Carter Verhaeghe delivered the winning goal. Florida proceeded to send the Leafs packing in the second round, winning three times in Toronto and clinching the series in five games via Nick Cousins' OT heroics.
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"Nobody in the world thought we were going to be in this position," Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk told reporters following the Panthers' previous triumph in Toronto. "We don't care what anybody's opinion is."
It's safe to assume those feelings have since changed a bit, considering Florida's postseason pedigree. The defending champion Panthers, who advanced beyond the first round for the fourth straight year and has won eight of their last nine series overall, square off with the Leafs in a best-of-seven beginning at 8 p.m. Monday for the Atlantic Division crown.
Toronto will have home ice advantage after tallying 108 points during the regular season — 10 more than the Panthers, who won three of the four head-to-head meetings.
Both teams survived regional rivalries in Round 1. Florida outscored the Tampa Bay Lightning 19-12 in a five-game romp, and Toronto slammed the door on the Ottawa Senators' comeback bid Thursday with a 4-2 road win to take the series in six.
Here are five things to know ahead of the second all-time postseason matchup between the Panthers and the Maple Leafs.
1. Aaron Ekblad will miss Game 1 due to suspension
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The NHL's Department of Player Safety issued Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad a two-game suspension for a direct blow to the head of Lightning forward Brandon Hagel with an extended elbow during the second period of Game 4. It will carry over to Monday's series opener in Toronto.
Ekblad, the No. 1 pick of the 2014 NHL draft and a pending unrestricted free agent, missed the first two games of the Tampa series while completing a 20-game suspension for violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA performance-enhancing substances program.
"I'll be consistent. I believed with any potential suspension, that's not my job," Florida coach Paul Maurice said. "This would be viewed in our room as an injury. It would be viewed no different from Sam Bennett breaking his finger last year in the Tampa series and missing five games.
"You're going to have really good players come in and out of your lineup. Unfortunately, we've missed (Ekblad) 22 of the past 24 games. He didn't play anyway so we're not used to him being in our lineup anyway. Fortunately, we have that experience now."
Ekblad returned for Game 3 but had a minus-4 rating in a 5-1 defeat. He tied Game 4 with less than four minutes to play in the third period, and Seth Jones gave the Panthers the lead for good just 11 seconds later.
2. Ex-Panthers Anthony Stolarz, Oliver Ekman-Larsson shining for Maple Leafs
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Toronto pinched a few of the Panthers' depth pieces last summer, fortifying weaknesses in the net and the right side of defense with the additions of Anthony Stolarz and Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
Stolarz, signed to a two-year, $5 million deal, made a career-high 33 starts during the regular season for the Leafs and posted a league-best .926 save percentage. He finished third in the NHL in goals-against average (2.14), trailing only Vezina Trophy favorite Connor Hellebuyck (2.01) and Los Angeles Kings stalwart Darcy Kuemper (2.02).
The 31-year-old Stolarz has been solid between the pipes during the postseason, stopping 128 of the Senators' 142 shots (.901 save percentage) with a 2.21 GAA.
Ekman-Larsson, who penned a four-year, $14 million contract, scored twice against Ottawa — including the Game 1 opener at the 7:09 mark. The 33-year-old played more than 19 minutes per game in the first round, partnering Simon Benoit on the Leafs' third pair and occupying secondary roles on both the power play and the penalty kill.
3. Brad Marchand loves tormenting the Toronto Maple Leafs
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Not-so-affectionately known around the National Hockey League as the "Little Ball of Hate," Brad Marchand draws particular ire from the Maple Leafs — and with good reason. The longtime Bruin has tormented Toronto for more than a decade.
Marchand has posted 58 points (21 goals, 37 assists) in 59 regular-season games against the Leafs; he's only been more proficient against Buffalo (68 points in 66 games) throughout his 16-year NHL career.
He's kicked it up a notch at Toronto's expense in the playoffs, too. In the last three postseason head-to-head showdowns between the Bruins and the Leafs, Marchand contributed 26 points (10 goals, 16 assists) as Boston prevailed in seven games on each occasion.
Acquired by Panthers general manager Bill Zito for a conditional 2027 second-round pick, which elevates to a first-rounder if Florida wins this series, Marchand dished out four helpers in the five games against the Lightning. He and linemates Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen carried a team-best 56.7% expected goals share at five-on-five, according to hockey analytics site MoneyPuck.
4. Panthers' penalty kill 'on point' in opening round
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Special teams tipped the scales tremendously in the Panthers' favor against their in-state rival.
Sergei Bobrovsky and Florida's PK unit stymied the star-studded Tampa Bay power play, getting the kill on 16 of 18 chances — including 15 consecutive kills between Games 1 and 5. The Lightning converted at a 25.9% rate during the regular season, good for fifth in the NHL, and led the league at 3.56 goals per game.
Florida erased Art Ross Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov for the second straight year, limiting the league's leading scorer to just four assists. Jake Guentzel notched a team-high six points but had a minus-3 rating, Brayden Point produced just two goals and Brandon Hagel was held scoreless in his three appearances, missing a game apiece to suspension and injury.
"That's how you win series. You need your PK to be on point," Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling told reporters after Game 5.
Matthew Tkachuk, by contrast, equaled the Lightning's power-play goal total singlehandedly in Game 1 alone — after missing the previous 25 games due to a lower-body injury sustained during the 4 Nations Face-Off. The Panthers finished a respectable 4-of-12 (25%) on the power play for the series.
Toronto frequently rolls out five forwards on its top power-play unit — Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Matthew Knies and John Tavares. The Leafs connected six times (35.3%) on the power play against the Senators but surrendered a pair of shorthanded goals.
5. Last ride for Toronto Maple Leafs' 'Core Four'?
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No team in the Stanley Cup Playoffs faces more scrutiny and is under more pressure to win than the Maple Leafs, especially considering this could be the last chance for the so-called 'Core Four' — Matthews, Marner, Nylander and Tavares — to get over the hump.
Toronto has competed in the playoffs each season since 2016-17 but advanced beyond the first round just twice. The Maple Leafs have not qualified for the Eastern Conference Final since 2001-02, and the franchise is starved to end a 58-year Stanley Cup drought.
Matthews, the Arizona-born superstar who has twice eclipsed the 60-goal mark, is signed through 2027-28 at an average salary cap hit of $13.25 million. Nylander, who has nine points so far this postseason, is locked up through 2031-32 on a contract with an average annual value of $11.5 million.
Marner and Tavares, on the other hand, are due to enter unrestricted free agency on July 1.
Marner, 27, led the Leafs with 102 points during the regular season but has been criticized in the past for the team's postseason shortcomings; he has 58 points in 63 career Stanley Cup Playoff games. He stands to earn a raise on his current contract ($10.903 million AAV) should he hit the open market.
Tavares turns 35 in September, but the former captain had his highest goal return (38) since his debut season in Toronto back in 2018-19. He is in the final year of a seven-year, $77 million deal.
Toronto will get some relief as the NHL's salary cap rises to $92.4 million in the summer, but it has made long-term investments on defense for the likes of Morgan Rielly, Chris Tanev, Jake McCabe and Ekman-Larsson. Additionally, 22-year-old winger Knies needs a new deal as a restricted free agent following a 29-goal, 29-assist breakout campaign.
There is only so much cap room, and only so much patience in Toronto for repeated failures. Another exit at the hands of the Panthers could result in a major shakeup.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Florida Panthers vs. Toronto Maple Leafs: Playoff series fast fact
Continue reading...
