The stumble of the Toronto Maple Leafs continued in a 3-2 loss to the Florida Panthers on Thursday (March 13). The defeat dropped the Leafs to 2-3-1 in March, coinciding with the Panthers’ red-hot play. As a result, Florida has a four-point cushion in the Atlantic Division title race. The Maple Leafs face the Panthers twice in April and visit the Tampa Bay Lightning once, which could be big games to determine playoff seeding.
However, Toronto’s primary focus should be being difficult to play against and moving the puck far more efficiently. The Maple Leafs’ offensive struggles have been a concern all season long, especially at 5-on-5. Early in the campaign, they limited space for the opposition and benefited from tremendous goaltending. The defensive structure has loosened in recent games, and the offence wasn’t addressed at the trade deadline. If the Leafs want to lean into playing more defensively, they can start by tightening up again in their zone and breaking down the forecheck better. The return of Chris Tanev from an upper-body injury should help, but the team has to be better as a whole.
Matthews’ Goal Woes Continue
Auston Matthews has been on the receiving end of some heat lately due to a lack of goal-scoring. He has 23 tallies through 50 appearances and is on pace to finish with 31, a far cry from hitting 60 in two of the last three campaigns. He has three goals on 66 shots in his past 16 outings. However, he has been getting some looks while racking up shots on target, and he had a 12-game point streak before being held off the scoresheet in the past two contests.
Related: Is Craig Berube’s System to Blame for Auston Matthews’ Scoring Struggles?
Still, it is fair to say that he hasn’t been himself, which may date back to his injury problem from earlier in the season or the new issue he sustained during the 4 Nations Face-Off. In any event, he needs to be a difference-maker, especially in tight matches when the team needs its game-breakers to produce.
Opportunistic Offence, but Not Much Zone Time
The Maple Leafs got off to a quick start in Thursday’s contest. Simon Benoit made a superb stretch pass to William Nylander, who pulled up in the offensive zone to buy time and give John Tavares a chance to slip out of coverage before one-timing the puck into the net. Nylander’s patience allowed the play to develop, and his helper stretched his point streak to seven games.
However, the club struggled to generate much of an offensive attack afterward. Toronto was dangerous off the rush, but those opportunities were few and far between against a stingy Florida defence that didn’t give up many second chances. The Maple Leafs have found it challenging to maintain possession of the puck in the opposition end in 2024-25. During the broadcast on TSN, it was pointed out that Toronto has ranked among the bottom of the league in offensive zone time per game every month since October. The Maple Leafs placed 21st in November, 25th in December, 23rd in January, 23rd in February, and 20th in March. The Panthers can move the puck out of their end promptly and showcased that skill adeptly in Thursday’s game.
Lost Special Teams Battle Again
In a 5-1 loss to the Panthers on Nov. 27, the Panthers scored two goals on five power-play chances and matched Toronto’s lone power-play marker with a shorthanded tally. Specialty teams were again a factor on Thursday. Sam Bennett scored two power-play goals for the Panthers while setting up shop in front of Anthony Stolarz, while the Maple Leafs failed to score on three man-advantage opportunities. Toronto hit two posts on the team’s second power play but did not muster much to test Sergei Bobrovsky.
The power play had become a bright spot for the Maple Leafs despite the team’s rocky play in March, but being nowhere to be found in a playoff-type game has been all too familiar. Toronto has struggled mightily to simplify the power play during the postseason, and the lack of production has been a common trend in early exits. When they have space to zip the puck around, it’s as dangerous as any team in the league, but it’s been a game-changer for all the wrong reasons in big games for a while when time and space are limited.
Domi Makes An Impact
Max Domi probably had his best game of 2024-25. He opened the divisional clash with a big open-ice hit on Carter Verhaeghe, and then the Maple Leafs forward pummelled Nate Schmidt in a fight. Unfortunately, and somewhat surprisingly, Florida seized control of the momentum afterward. Still, Domi’s attempt to provide a spark was a welcome sight. He hasn’t contributed much offensively, providing five goals and 21 assists in 57 appearances, and he has taken some bad penalties this season.
Domi also scored a big goal in the third period on Thursday, taking advantage of a poor line change by the Panthers to cut Toronto’s deficit to 3-2. The goal was his second in his last 31 outings. His spot in the lineup probably wasn’t in danger despite his struggles. However, before Thursday’s performance, the 30-year-old forward played like someone who probably should be sitting or rotating with Nicholas Robertson. While the intensity and physicality were a bonus, Domi must continue to provide secondary offence.
Defensive Miscues Remain Troubling
There wasn’t much room to operate in Thursday’s matchup, which made the mistakes more glaring and costly. The penalty killers were a step too slow attacking Mackie Samoskevich and Bennett, leading to the tying goal on Florida’s second power play in the first period. Florida struck twice in the last seven minutes of the second stanza to build a 3-1 lead. The Panthers’ forecheck earned them a 2-1 advantage after the puck travelled back to Niko Mikkola in the high slot, and he beat Stolarz.
After a careless too many men on the ice penalty, Scott Laughton failed to clear the puck at the blue line after a sprawling play by Seth Jones kept it in the zone. It was eventually worked down low to the goal line before Bennett was set up in front of the net. If goal-scoring remains an issue for the Maple Leafs, the team must eliminate the disorganization plaguing the defensive zone. A struggling offence creates a slimmer margin for error, especially when the club is not spending much time in the opposition’s end.
What Comes Next for the Maple Leafs?
Despite another uneven performance, the game against the Panthers was close, though Florida was missing Matthew Tkachuk, Brad Marchand, and Aaron Ekblad. While it was a better effort than losses to the Vegas Golden Knights (March 5) and Colorado Avalanche (March 8), it’s still another defeat to a top contender. The Maple Leafs should be using this time to bear down and prepare for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but the gap between their play and teams viewed as being in the upper echelon is becoming evident. Fortunately, Toronto has time to work through the problems and heat up down the stretch, but a busy schedule over the next two weeks won’t leave much time for practices until the start of April.
The Maple Leafs host the surging Ottawa Senators on Saturday (March 15), and they will need to match the intensity of a desperate team battling to secure a playoff spot, or it could be a long night.
