Well, Leafs Nation, it was fun while it lasted. The worry-free hockey, the lack of anxiety, the feeling that no matter what happened, they could win. It all ended when the final buzzer went in Game 4. Now the series is tied 2-2, and the Toronto Maple Leafs are entering what could be the biggest game of their playoff run. After being blanked 2-0 in Game 4, they need to come out firing and prove they belong.
After taking a 2-0 series lead, Game 3 was one that could have gone either way. A bad bounce in overtime gave the Florida Panthers life. In Game 4, they showed why they’re the defending Stanley Cup Champions. Now as we head into Game 5, the Maple Leafs need to show why they deserve to be in the Conference Finals. If they lose tonight, a good portion of the fan base will give up hope. It’ll feel like years past when they couldn’t get it done in the playoffs.
Tonight is the next closest thing to a must-win that this team has ever experienced. They can’t come out of the gate flat or lacking urgency, and that’s where Craig Berube will come in. His presence should have a big impact on this team tonight. Hopefully, he gets them ready to start on time and win this hockey game.
Maple Leafs News:
Now for some Maple Leafs news — goaltender Anthony Stolarz skated yesterday before the team’s practice. There’s still no official update on his status, but there seems to be some optimism with him being back on the ice and getting in some work with goaltending coach Curtis Sanford.
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Also, according to Luke Fox of Sportsnet, head coach Craig Berube may be making a few lineup changes. He mentioned there would be some game-time decisions and that Berube is keeping things close to the chest. One possible hint is that David Kampf wasn’t at the optional skate this morning, which usually includes the healthy scratches. But for now, there’s no confirmation on who’s in or out for Game 5.
Team Stats
Toronto Maple Leafs
Playoff Record: 6-4
Series Record: 2-2
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: 2-2, 3.51 GAA, .893 SV%
Florida Panthers
Playoff Record: 6-3
Series Record: 2-2
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: 5 G, 3 A, 8 P
Goalie Stats:
- Sergei Bobrovsky: 6-3, 2.62 GAA, .888 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 — Max Domi — Pontus Holmberg
Steven Lorentz — Scott Laughton — Calle Jarnkrok
Morgan Rielly — Brandon Carlo
Jake McCabe — Chris Tanev
Simon Benoit — Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Joseph Woll
Matt Murray
Scratched: Dakota Mermis, Philippe Myers, Nicholas Robertson, David Kampf, Ryan Reaves, Artur Akhtyamov, Dennis Hildeby
Injured: Jani Hakanpaa (lower body), Anthony Stolarz (undisclosed)
Florida Panthers:
Jesper Boqvist — Aleksander Barkov — Sam Reinhart
Carter Verhaeghe — Sam Bennett — Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen — Anton Lundell — Brad Marchand
A.J. Greer — Tomas Nosek — Jonah Gadjovich
Gustav Forsling — Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola — Seth Jones
Nate Schmidt — Dmitry Kulikov
Sergei Bobrovsky
Vitek Vanecek
Scratched: Jaycob Megna, Uvis Balinskis, Mackie Samoskevich, Nico Sturm
Injured: Evan Rodrigues (undisclosed)
Puck drop is set for 7:00 tonight, this could be considered the biggest game of the playoffs for the Maple Leafs. Will they fall behind 3-2 in the series after having a 2-0 lead? Also, will Matthews and Marner insert their dominance tonight? It now becomes a best-of-three, which means tonight’s game may not only be the biggest of the playoffs, but also the biggest of the Core Four era.
