After knocking off the Ottawa Senators in six games in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Toronto Maple Leafs are now battling the Florida Panthers in the second round.
Game 1 took place Monday night in Toronto, where the Leafs grabbed a 1-0 series lead with a dominant performance that wasn’t fully reflected by the final score of 5-4. Game 2 followed on Wednesday, and Florida responded with a stronger showing. The Panthers leaned into their physical, heavy forecheck and out-hit Toronto 51-24.
But defensive breakdowns proved costly, as they allowed four goals and fell 4-3, thanks to Mitch Marner's game-winner nearly six minutes into the third period. The buzz around Toronto has reached another level during this playoff run, as it’s just the third time the Leafs have advanced to the second round since 2004.
Two-time Grammy Award-winning artist Justin Bieber was among the Leafs fans tuned in to watch the boys in blue win on Wednesday night. He shared a photo on social media, captioning it with a two-word message.
"Locked in," Bieber wrote.
The "Baby" singer was born in London, Ontario, nearly three hours outside of Toronto, and has been a diehard Leafs fan his entire life. Over the years, the 31-year-old has built relationships with several current players, most notably the captain, Auston Matthews.
In 2021, he released a visual for his song "Hold On" as a tribute to the team, and his former fashion brand, Drew House, also collaborated with the Leafs to design their alternate uniforms.
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