3 Maple Leafs-Panthers bold predictions for 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs

The Maple Leafs made a big change last year after losing their first-round matchup against the Boston Bruins in seven games (again). They fired offensive-minded head coach Sheldon Keefe and brought in defensive-minded Craig Berube.

The Maple Leafs earned first place in the Atlantic Division and they became a more physical team to play against. While the core four of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares remain vital to their chances, the Maple Leafs can play a stiffer brand of defense than they did in the past.

The Maple Leafs can bring more of a physical edge than they were capable of in past years. In addition to Morgan Rielly and Jake McCabe, defensemen Brando Carlo and Chris Tanev will attempt to slow down Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett, Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov with hard hitting and checking that the Panthers have never seen from the Leafs.

This could surprise the Panthers and that will give the Leafs stars a chance to make plays and get an early edge. Nylander and Marner were especially hot in the first round with nine and eight points, respectively, against the Sens.

Even if the Maple Leafs get the early edge, there is no way that Tkachuk, Barkov, Reinhart and Bennett will go quietly in the night. The Panthers have tremendous experience and have pulled off memorable playoff performances in the last two years.

Give the Panthers a slight but significant edge because of that winning experience.

Brad Marchand will be a true X-Factor for Florida

The trade of Brad Marchand from the Bruins to the Panthers at the deadline was a shocker. The Bruins traded their captain to the team that broke their hearts and eliminated them from the playoffs for two years in a row.

It seemed like Marchand hated the team that acquired him and the team had similar feelings for him. If that was the case, those feelings have been suspended. Marchand was injured at the time of the trade, but he has been a key asset since donning his Florida uniform.

Marchand may look strange in his Florida gear, but he remains a 200-foot force as well as an agitator. He had four assists in the five games against the Lightning and his defensive play was stellar.

Now he gets to play against the Maple Leafs. Marchand was 4-0 in postseason matchups against Toronto as a member of the Bruins, and he regularly tormented them in the postseason.

His presence will get in the heads of Toronto’s men in blue.

Panthers survive in six games

The Maple Leafs are a very good team after finishing first in the Atlantic Division and beating the Senators in the first round of the playoffs.

They have a powerful foursome in Marner, Matthews, Nylander and Tavares that can carry the team, but they are competing against a squad that has proven it can dig deep at the most important moments. The Panthers are tougher and deeper than the Maple Leafs and that will come into play in the last 10 minutes of the third period and overtime — if needed.

Additionally, goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky gives the Panthers an edge over Anthony Stolarz, regardless of how good the latter has been this year. All of this will be too much for the Maple Leafs to overcome. Florida survives and advances to the Eastern Conference Final in six games.