TORONTO – Craig Berube didn’t utter a phrase.
The Maple Leafs had simply surrendered a lead late in Sport 6 of their first-round playoff sequence towards the Ottawa Senators.
Toronto’s bench, nonetheless, remained calm. And 101 seconds later, the guests restored their benefit earlier than securing the Battle of Ontario to maneuver on within the Stanley Cup event.
“Went proper again to taking part in our sport,” stated Berube, the first-year Leafs head coach with a championship pedigree.
“Being affected person and never letting your emotion get too concerned in every little thing … you want emotion to play this sport, nevertheless it must be directed in the proper means.”
Toronto might want to preserve that entrance of thoughts when it opens the second spherical Monday at Scotiabank Area towards the battle-tested Florida Panthers.
“We’re a ready group, we’re able to go,” Leafs captain Auston Matthews stated. “We all know that the problem that lies forward.”
It’s a frightening one.
Cup winners final June after making the ultimate two years in the past, a troublesome and proficient Panthers roster coached by Paul Maurice and led by the captain Aleksander Barkov contains the chippy, bodily three-headed chirping monster of Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand — masters of the sport inside the sport.
“It will get heated, it will get emotional,” Toronto defenceman Morgan Rielly stated. “With the ability to preserve composure is essential. We’ll have moments within the sequence the place we’re going to wish that. Then we’re going to have moments the place we’re going to essentially need to dig in and play with some emotion and a few urgency.
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“You’ve obtained to achieve each ends.”
Florida, which topped Toronto in 5 video games in 2023 after the Leafs superior within the post-season for the primary time in nearly 20 years, closed out the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1 this spring in a matchup that concerned each questionable hits and suspensions.
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“They’ve developed an incredible id and pedigree,” Toronto centre John Tavares stated. “A pair video games (two years in the past), we possibly didn’t deal with sure moments as nicely.
“It’s wonderful how shortly you might be on the incorrect aspect of it — even with an excellent effort.”
Panthers defenceman Aaron Ekblad received’t be accessible Monday as he closes out his two-game ban for a forearm headshot on Tampa ahead Brandon Hagel.
“They play a tough sport,” Berube stated. “They forecheck onerous and so they’re bodily and so they’re in your face … we’ve obtained to provoke as a lot as attainable. You’re going to get banged round.”
Matthews stated Toronto did an excellent job managing no matter Ottawa tried to get the Leafs off stability final spherical.
“We’re ready to play no matter sport it takes,” he stated. “There’s going to be a number of shifts the place there’s probably not going to be an entire lot happening.
“Work for these alternatives and once you get them, be capable of capitalize.”
The Panthers will little doubt get some Leafs intel from Tkachuk’s youthful brother Brady, who captains the Senators and was a bodily menace final spherical.
The Leafs, in the meantime, have three members of the Florida’s Cup-hoisting roster in goaltender Anthony Stolarz, defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and winger Steven Lorentz.
“Good to have these guys’ perspective,” Matthews stated. “Issues that we are able to pay attention to, issues that we are able to assert ourselves in.”
Tavares stated playoff scars of failures previous — Toronto was simply 1-13 in potential series-clinching video games since 2018 earlier than disposing of Ottawa after the Senators introduced the Battle of Ontario from 3-0 to 3-2 with consecutive victories — has helped the membership handle each expectations and troublesome moments.
“We’ve been desirous to do one thing nice,” Tavares stated. “We’ve been pushing one another as a bunch, persevering with to stick with it. It’s wanted much more now as you get additional alongside.”
Berube, who received hockey’s holy grail in 2019 with the St. Louis Blues and has been tasked with lastly getting Toronto over its post-season hump, has been an enormous a part of the arithmetic.
“Accomplished an incredible job of holding the group composed and centered,” Tavares stated.
Berube has introduced a quiet confidence to the Authentic Six outfit’s sport. He’s executed the identical off the ice.
“There’s exterior noise,” he stated. “You’ve obtained to let it slide off your again.”
Toronto did that towards Ottawa. The check might be even larger this spherical.
SEASON SERIES
Florida went 3-1-0 within the common season. Toronto’s solely victory, a 3-2 resolution, got here at dwelling April 2.
LAST TIME OUT
The Panthers jumped out to a 3-0 benefit in that five-game sequence two years in the past. The Leafs pushed again with a 2-1 win to remain alive earlier than falling 3-2 in additional time.
BREAKOUT POTENTIAL
Matthew Knies: The 22-year-old, who scored thrice towards Ottawa, was a rookie in 2023 when Bennett slammed him to the ice in Sport 2, forcing the winger to overlook the stability of the sequence.
Anton Lundell: The 23-year-old centre had 17 factors in 24 playoff video games throughout Florida’s Cup run. He’s additionally a key defensive piece on the third line.
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Could 4, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
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