The Toronto Maple Leafs are heading into Game 4 looking to bounce back from their overtime loss in Game 3 to the Florida Panthers. After jumping out to a 2-0 lead early in the first, they let it slip—not once, but twice—ultimately losing after holding a 3-1 advantage. If they want to regain control of the series, they’ll need to tighten up their game, starting with playing a full 60 minutes and keeping their foot on the gas when they’re ahead.
That said, nobody expected this series to be easy. The Panthers are the defending Stanley Cup Champions for a reason. They fight until the bitter end and proved it again in Game 3. The Maple Leafs came out strong in the first period, but completely changed their style of play in the second, and it cost them. That kind of inconsistency doesn’t fly in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Related: 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 2 Hub
Heading into Game 4, Toronto will need to correct those lapses. If they don’t, they risk heading home with a tied series instead of a commanding 3-1 lead.
Maple Leafs News:
Craig Berube met with the media yesterday and provided an update on Anthony Stolarz. He said the goaltender is progressing, but still not skating. If the Maple Leafs can pull out a win tonight, it likely means Stolarz will miss the entire second round. The hope is that he’ll be ready and healthy for Round 3, if and when they get there.
As for the backup situation, Matt Murray wasn’t on the bench for Game 3 due to illness. If he’s feeling better, he’s expected to return to his usual role backing up Joseph Woll. Berube prefers to use Murray in that spot because of his experience. Not only could he step in if needed, but he also brings a calming presence that can help Woll if things start to go sideways.
Team Stats
Toronto Maple Leafs
Playoff Record: 6-3
Series Record: 2-1
Top 5 Scorers:
- William Nylander: 6 G, 9 A, 15 P
- Mitch Marner: 2 G, 10 A, 12 P
- Auston Matthews: 2 G, 8 A, 10 P
- John Tavares: 5 G, 2 A, 7 G
- Morgan Rielly: 4 G, 3 A, 7 P
Goalie Stats:
- Anthony Stolarz: 4-2, 2.19 GAA, .901 SV%
- Joseph Woll: 2-1, 3.99 GAA, .869 SV%
Florida Panthers
Playoff Record: 5-3
Series Record: 1-2
Top 5 Scorers:
- Sam Reinhart: 3 G, 5 A, 8 P
- Anton Lundell: 3 G, 5 A, 8 P
- Brad Marchand: 2 G, 6 A, 8 P
- Eetu Luostarinen: 2 G, 6 A, 8 P
- Sam Bennett: 4 G, 3 A, 7 P
Goalie Stats:
- Sergei Bobrovsky: 5-3, 2.94 GAA, .875 SV%
Projected Lineups
There are just projections, these lineups are subject to change before the drop of the puck
Toronto Maple Leafs:
Matthew Knies — Auston Matthews — Mitch Marner
Max Pacioretty — John Tavares — William Nylander
Bobby McMann — Pontus Holmberg — Max Domi
Calle Jarnkrok — Scott Laughton — Steven Lorentz
Morgan Rielly — Brandon Carlo
Jake McCabe — Chris Tanev
Simon Benoit — Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Joseph Woll
Matt Murray
Injured: Anthony Stolarz (upper body)
Scratched: Jani Hakanpaa, Dakota Mermis, Philippe Myers, David Kampf, Artur Akhtyamov, Nicholas Robertson
Florida Panthers:
Carter Verhaeghe — Aleksander Barkov — Sam Reinhart
Evan Rodrigues — Sam Bennett — Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen — Anton Lundell — Brad Marchand
Mackie Samoskevich — Nico Sturm — Jesper Boqvist
Gustav Forsling — Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola — Seth Jones
Nate Schmidt — Dmitry Kulikov
Sergei Bobrovsky
Vítek Vaněček
Scratched: Tomas Nosek, Jonah Gadjovich, Jaycob Megna, Mackie Samoskevich, Uvis Balinskis
Puck drop is set for 7:30 tonight, but before the game gets started, I want to wish all the moms out there a very Happy Mother’s Day. Enjoy the game—and as always, Go Leafs Go!
