Brad Marchand is 4-0 vs. Leafs in Game 7. Panthers Try for 5

Brad Marchand can become the first player in NHL history to go 5-0 against a single team — in this case, the Toronto Maple Leafs — in Game 7.

But, he is not going to do it alone.

The Panthers will have a big say in what happens tonight.

Marchand will play in his 13th Game 7 tonight when the Panthers face the Leafs in Toronto.

He is, one may expect, is fired up for it.

“Game 7s, these are the ones you live for, the ones you get excited about,’’ Marchand said after Sunday’s morning skate. “They are the ones where you don’t worry about the pressure, just try and enjoy it. Whether you win or lose, they are incredible moments. You have to be in the moment all night.”

Paul Maurice, who is 5-0 in Game 7 including the past two with the Panthers, was impressed with the sheer number of such games Marchand has played over the course of his career.

“Certainly, as you get older, you appreciate it,” Maurice said. “There’s not 13 more or that would be impressive. That awareness, we had Eric Staal a few years back in a Game 7, Kyle Okposo … those players understand. No one, growing up on their backyard rink, ever played for Game 3. Or in the summer, the bases or loaded, you dream about Game 7. That’s what we’re presented with today.’’

Marchand is 7-5 in Game 7 during his career, being part of Boston teams which beat the Leafs in 2013, 2018, 2019, and 2024.

He has been part of losses in three of his past four, including to Toronto coach Craig Berube’s Blues in the 2019 Stanley Cup Final, and the Panthers in 2023.

But, as Marchand says, if it was not for the media, he nor the Panthers would mention the past.

The experience of playing under such pressure has to help, sure, but it will not define what happens tonight.

“The biggest thing is, this team just stays in the moment,’’ Marchand said. “We don’t really look forward, or look back. We do a really good job of preparing for the day. I love the way we go over games, the mentality we have whether it’s a win or a loss in just trying to get better.’’

There is certainly something special about a Game 7 in the finality of it.

One team will move on after tonight, the other heads to the offseason.

“It’s an amazing opportunity,’’ Matthew Tkachuk said. “It’s the stuff you dream about as a kid. I know everyone says that, but you really do. And, our game is built for this type of game. We talk about it all year. We talk about it at training camp in ‘how are you building your game for Game 7?’ We get to show that off tonight. It’s finally here.’’

FLORIDA PANTHERS: GAME 7s

• 1996: d. Pittsburgh 3-1 (ECF)
• 2012: l. New Jersey 3-2 2OT (R1)
• 2023: d. Boston 4-3 OT (R1)
• 2024: d. Edmonton 2-1 (SCF)
• 2025: vs. Toronto (R2)

2025 NHL STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS: GAME 7

FLORIDA PANTHERS @ TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS 

Best-of-7 Series tied 3-3

• When: Sunday, 7:30 p.m.
• Where: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto
• National TV: TNT/truTV
• National Streaming: MAX
• Radio: WQAM 560-AM; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
• Series Schedule — Game 1: @Toronto 5, Florida 4; Game 2: @Toronto 4, Panthers 3; Game 3: @Florida 5, Toronto 4 (OT); Game 4: @Florida 2, Toronto 0; Game 5: Florida 6, @Toronto 1; Game 6: Toronto 2, @Florida 0; Game 7: Sunday @Toronto 7:30 (TNT/truTV).
• How They Got Here: Toronto d. Ottawa 4-2; Florida d. Tampa Bay 4-1
• All-time Postseason: Panthers d. Toronto 4-1 (2023 ECS)
• Up Next: Winner vs. Carolina Hurricanes (M2), 2025 Eastern Conference final