Zach Aston-Reese draws into lineup with Matthew Knies out: Leafs practice notes

Aston-Reese will slot back into the lineup in a fourth line role alongside David Kampf and Sam Lafferty. Also in the shuffle are Alex Kerfoot, who’ll move up to the third line, where Knies was slotted.

There was plenty of discussion after the game about Bennett’s play on Knies, and then after with Michael Bunting. Fans wanted a suspension and Keefe said it was a similar play to Auston Matthews’ cross-check on Rasmus Dahlin in last year’s Heritage Classic game.

Alas, we know now that Bennett was only handed a fine of $5,000. With that being said, there could be some type of response in Game 3 on Sunday, Luke Schenn says.

Mark Giordano has had a difficult series against Florida thus far, and just a tough go in the playoffs this season. The 39-year-old has been on the ice for 11 goals against at five-on-five since the playoffs began, the most of any Maple Leafs player.

This series in particular, though, with the speed, has shown that Giordano might not be able to keep up with the fast pace that the Panthers bring. But how does he feel about his play in the playoffs thus far?

Finally, with Games 3 and 4 being in Florida, it’s worth noting that Ticketmaster is limiting tickets to “residents of the United States.” It’s a difficult spot for Maple Leafs fans, but I assume any fan who supports the blue and white will still be able to get a seat inside of the arena.

Even William Nylander believes so:

Game 3 goes down on Sunday, Game 4 goes down on Wednesday. Yes, that’s a very long break in between games. The projected starting goaltenders for Game 3 are none other than Ilya Samsonov for Toronto, and Sergei Bobrovsky for Florida.

Puck drop is set for 6:30 p.m. on Sunday evening inside FLA Live Arena. It’s a chance for the Maple Leafs to claw their way back in the series, or to slide further down the rope.