Mitch Marner has skilled a whirlwind stretch — each at residence and the rink.
Joseph Woll waited patiently and ready for an opportunity he knew won’t arrive.
Each supplied clutch performances Wednesday in one other large victory for a tortured Authentic Six franchise trying to dethrone the defending Stanley Cup champions.
Marner scored the winner within the third interval and Woll made 25 saves rather than the injured Anthony Stolarz because the Toronto Maple Leafs downed the Florida Panthers 4-3 to take a 2-0 lead of their second-round playoff sequence.
“It’s been a whirlwind,” mentioned Marner, who turned a father for the primary time over the weekend. “A extremely thrilling time in my home … fairly particular feeling tonight.”
Pressed into service after Stolarz exited halfway by way of Monday’s opener — a 5-4 Toronto victory — following an elbow to the top from Panthers centre Sam Bennett, Woll began for the primary time since April 17.
“It’s been one thing I’ve needed to concentrate on and provide you with a plan to remain prepared,” mentioned the goaltender. “It’s a special problem than enjoying each evening, however a problem nonetheless.”
Woll, who entered with a .950 save proportion in his 4 earlier playoff begins, additionally carried out effectively when known as upon in each the 2023 and 2024 post-seasons due to harm.
“Calm and funky,” Leafs head coach Craig Berube mentioned. “On his toes and preventing by way of visitors. Very impressed.”
Max Pacioretty and Max Domi, with a aim and an help every, and William Nylander supplied the remainder of the offence for Toronto. Morgan Rielly added two assists.
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Anton Lundell, with a aim and an help, Aleksander Barkov and Brad Marchand replied for Florida, which trails by two video games in a sequence for the primary time because the 2023 last. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 16 pictures.
“Numerous stuff that we like about our sport that we expect we are able to enhance,” Panthers head coach Paul Maurice mentioned. “We’ll check out it and get higher.”
One of the best-of-seven matchup between Atlantic Division heavyweights now shifts to South Florida, with Sport 3 set for Friday.
The Leafs, who’re within the second spherical for simply the second time within the NHL’s wage cap period, led 3-2 after two intervals earlier than the guests acquired even at 5:33 of the third when Lundell shovelled his third aim of the playoffs previous Woll.
However the residence facet — one way more resilient than previous iterations — restored its lead simply 17 seconds later when Marner fired a shot from the boards that discovered its method by way of visitors previous a shocked Bobrovsky for his second.
Marner, who turned 28 on Monday, has added an “M” to his tools since he and spouse Stephanie welcomed their son Miles on Sunday morning.
“Simply calmness,” he mentioned of what wanting down and seeing that preliminary does for him. “I attempt to keep calm as a lot as I can all through video games. It’s at all times a roller-coaster experience. There’s at all times stuff happening, stuff you possibly can’t predict taking place. I’m making an attempt to play for him.”
“Unimaginable second in your life,” Nylander added. “To be doing that and enjoying unbelievable hockey, it’s simply actually particular.”
Woll was at full stretch with 9:59 left in regulation to make an enormous cease on Mackie Samoskevich. Leafs defenceman Jake McCabe then swatted a free puck out of the crease with beneath six minutes to go.
The Panthers continued to press and Sam Reinhart hit the put up with simply over three minutes on the clock earlier than the Leafs held on late.
Florida, which beat Toronto in 5 video games two years in the past on the similar stage of the playoffs, went forward 2-1 simply 15 seconds into the center interval when Marchand — a Leafs playoff nemesis as a member of the Boston Bruins — took a move from Lundell down low and roofed his first.
Toronto acquired again even at 4:18 when Pacioretty discovered Nylander in entrance for him to bury his sixth, and the winger’s seventh level in three video games.
“They’re excellent on the push,” Marchand mentioned. “It appeared like each time we gave them the chance to get above us, they created one thing or capitalized on it.”
A tough-hitting, frenetic second interval continued at a pulsating Scotiabank Enviornment with bodily play on either side.
The Leafs pushed in entrance 3-2 with 2:51 remaining when Domi buried his second on a 2-on-1 over a sprawling Bobrovsky.
Toronto acquired nothing from two disjointed energy performs inside the sport’s opening 10 minutes. Florida, in the meantime, wanted simply 5 seconds on its first man benefit for Barkov to attain his second at 10:58.
The Leafs acquired their third energy play of the interval when Dmitry Kulikov was whistled for delay of sport.
Toronto once more didn’t get a lot going till the second unit took the ice. Rielly fired a shot from the purpose late that the 36-year-old Pacioretty — a wholesome scratch to start out the playoffs earlier than scoring the series-clinching aim in opposition to the Ottawa Senators within the first spherical — tipped upstairs for his second with 1:41 left.
“We knew that they had been going to play a really, very intense sport,” Pacioretty mentioned. “We had been capable of match that.”
Toronto will want much more Friday evening.
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