Maple Leafs set to face Panthers in second round: ‘It gets heated, it gets emotional’

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Matthew Knies (second left) celebrates his goal with captain Auston Matthews (left) and defenceman Chris Tanev as Florida Panthers blueliner Niko Mikkola (77) reacts during third period NHL hockey action in Toronto on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

TORONTO — Craig Berube didn’t utter a word.

The Maple Leafs had just surrendered a lead late in Game 6 of their first-round playoff series against the Ottawa Senators.

Toronto’s bench, however, remained calm. And 101 seconds later, the visitors restored their advantage before securing the Battle of Ontario to move on in the Stanley Cup tournament.

“Went right back to playing our game,” said Berube, the first-year Leafs head coach with a championship pedigree.

“Being patient and not letting your emotion get too involved in everything … you need emotion to play this game, but it has to be directed in the right way.”

Toronto will need to keep that front of mind when it opens the second round Monday at Scotiabank Arena against the battle-tested Florida Panthers.

“We’re a prepared group, we’re ready to go,” Leafs captain Auston Matthews said. “We know that the challenge that lies ahead.”

It’s a daunting one.

Cup winners last June after making the final two years ago, a tough and talented Panthers roster coached by Paul Maurice and led by the captain Aleksander Barkov includes the chippy, physical three-headed chirping monster of Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand — masters of the game within the game.

“It gets heated, it gets emotional,” Toronto defenceman Morgan Rielly said. “Being able to maintain composure is important. We’ll have moments in the series where we’re going to need that. Then we’re going to have moments where we’re going to really have to dig in and play with some emotion and some urgency.

“You’ve got to reach both ends.”

Florida, which topped Toronto in five games in 2023 after the Leafs advanced in the post-season for the first time in almost two decades, closed out the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1 this spring in a matchup that involved both questionable hits and suspensions.

“They’ve developed a tremendous identity and pedigree,” Toronto centre John Tavares said. “A couple games (two years ago), we maybe didn’t handle certain moments as well.

“It’s amazing how quickly you can be on the wrong side of it — even with a good effort.”

Panthers defenceman Aaron Ekblad won’t be available Monday as he closes out his two-game ban for a forearm headshot on Tampa forward Brandon Hagel.

“They play a hard game,” Berube said. “They forecheck hard and they’re physical and they’re in your face … we’ve got to initiate as much as possible. You’re going to get banged around.”

Matthews said Toronto did a good job managing whatever Ottawa tried to get the Leafs off balance last round.

“We’re prepared to play whatever game it takes,” he said. “There’s going to be a lot of shifts where there’s not really going to be a whole lot going on.

“Work for those opportunities and when you get them, be able to capitalize.”

The Panthers will no doubt get some Leafs intel from Tkachuk’s younger brother Brady, who captains the Senators and was a physical menace last round.

The Leafs, meanwhile, 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 those guys’ perspective,” Matthews said. “Things that we can be aware of, things that we can assert ourselves in.”

Tavares said playoff scars of failures past — Toronto was just 1-13 in potential series-clinching games since 2018 before disposing of Ottawa after the Senators brought the Battle of Ontario from 3-0 to 3-2 with consecutive victories — has helped the club manage both expectations and difficult moments.

“We’ve been wanting to do something great,” Tavares said. “We’ve been pushing each other as a group, continuing to stay with it. It’s needed even more now as you get further along.”

Berube, who won hockey’s holy grail in 2019 with the St. Louis Blues and has been tasked with finally getting Toronto over its post-season hump, has been a big part of the arithmetic.

“Done a tremendous job of keeping the group composed and focused,” Tavares said.

Berube has brought a quiet confidence to the Original Six outfit’s game. He’s done the same off the ice.

“There’s outside noise,” he said. “You’ve got to let it slide off your back.”

Toronto did that against Ottawa. The test will be even greater this round.

SEASON SERIES

Florida went 3-1-0 in the regular season. Toronto’s only victory, a 3-2 decision, came at home April 2.

LAST TIME OUT

The Panthers jumped out to a 3-0 advantage in that five-game series two years ago. The Leafs pushed back with a 2-1 win to stay alive before falling 3-2 in overtime.

BREAKOUT POTENTIAL

Matthew Knies: The 22-year-old, who scored three times against Ottawa, was a rookie in 2023 when Bennett slammed him to the ice in Game 2, forcing the winger to miss the balance of the series.

Anton Lundell: The 23-year-old centre had 17 points in 24 playoff games during Florida’s Cup run. He’s also a key defensive piece on the third line.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 4, 2025.

Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press