Brad Marchand: These Maple Leafs are a Different Bunch

Brad Marchand has played 30 playoff games against the Toronto Maple Leafs, so, the Florida Panthers forward knows them pretty, pretty well.

Marchand, who is fourth all-time in playoff scoring against the Leafs with 31 points, says this is a different team than the ones he has faced in the past.

Last year, Marchand’s Bruins beat the Leafs in 7 to move on to the second round.

This is the first time the Maple Leafs have held a 2-0 series lead beyond the opening round since the 1987 division finals that they ended up losing in 7 to the Red Wings.

The Panthers were up 2-0 after leaving Toronto in the 2023 second round, winning that series in 5.

“They’re continuing to grow, get better as a group,’’ Marchand said after scoring a go-ahead goal for the Panthers in an eventual 4-3 loss in Game 2.

“They brought a lot of good pieces in at the deadline and in the offseason to address their backend. They are heavy back there. Their coaching has changed, and their structure is very good especially in the d-zone. They don’t give up a lot around the net. …

“We knew it was going to be a really tough battle, didn’t expect to roll over them by any means. We have our work cut out. They’re playing really well, their top guys are capitalizing on every opportunity.’’

The Panthers, who have never won a playoff series down 0-2, are in such a hole for the first time since the 2023 Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights.

This is also the first time the Panthers have lost two straight on the road in the playoffs since that Vegas series.

FLORIDA PANTHERS / FHN

• Toronto scored 17 seconds after the Panthers tied it up in the third.
• So, what’s ‘embellishment?’ It’s certainly not anything Evan Rodrigues did Wednesday. Even Capt. Maple Leaf Paul Bissonnette thought that was a horrible call.
• Mitch Marner’s goal stood as the difference, thanks to an excellent game from Joseph Woll.
• The Panthers made some lineup changes in Game 2 with Mackie Samoskevich returning.
• Aaron Ekblad spoke Wednesday, said he wasn’t trying to hurt Brandon Hagel.
• The Providence Bruins stay alive, beat Charlotte Checkers in Game 3 at Bojangles.
• Anthony Stolarz was out Wednesday — but with Woll playing the way he did, it didn’t matter.
• Bennett says he did not know he hit Stolarz, much less went in to hurt him.
• The Panthers got Ekblad back on Wednesday. He gave them quite a game.
• Don’t forget to subscribe to the FHN YouTube channel to watch video interviews with the Florida Panthers throughout the postseason. Wednesday brought us Maurice, Ekblad, Marchand, Anton Lundell, and Samoskevich. More before today’s flight back to FLL…

NHL LINKS / NATIONAL HOCKEY NOW

• Don’t call the Mammoth the ‘Utah Hockey Club’ anymore. Unless you want to.
• Mikko Rantanen got his second straight hat trick — in back-to-back periods of two different games — as the Stars win Game 1 in Winnipeg.
• Eric Staal is going back to Buffalo.
• Looking at what happened to the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 1 — and what they need to change.
• Some Pittsburgh Penguins trade talk.
• Names the Montreal Canadiens could target with their two first-round picks.

2025 NHL STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS: GAME 3

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS @ FLORIDA PANTHERS 

Toronto Leads Best-of-7 Series 2-0

• When: Friday, 7 p.m.
• Where: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise
• 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, Florida 3; Game 3: Friday @Florida, 7 (TNT/truTV); Game 4:Sunday @Florida, 7:30 (TBS/truTV); Game 5*: Wednesday May 14 @Toronto TBA (ESPN); Game 6*:Friday May 16 @Florida TBA (TNT/truTV); Game 7*: Sunday May 18 @Toronto TBA (TNT/truTV).
• How They Got Here: Toronto d. Ottawa 4-2; Florida d. Tampa Bay 4-1
• This Regular Season: Panthers Won 3-1; Last Regular Season: Tied 2-2
• All-time Regular Season Series: Toronto leads 51-40-7, 7 ties
• All-time Postseason: Panthers d. Toronto 4-1 (2023 ECS)