Key takeaways from the Maple Leafs’ 4–3 win over the Panthers in Game 2

Pacioretty was not done there. Oliver Ekman-Larsson broke up a scoring chance in the defensive zone, and Pacioretty collected the puck. He fed the pass to William Nylander, who tied the lead in playoff scoring with 13 points:

Domi would score the 3–2 goal heading into the third period. Rielly jumped up into the play to receive the puck from Scott Laughton. Rielly passed the puck to Steven Lorentz, who passed it to Domi on the 2–1, and Domi made no mistake:

What do most of these plays have in common? They were created on turnovers, or the Maple Leafs’ defender immediately made a play after obtaining puck possession in their own zone. This was the Maple Leafs’ solution to the Panthers’ suffocating forechecking game and burned the Panthers all night.

The defence is cooking

As we have said many times, the defence is what makes this team different this year. Defensively, the Maple Leafs’ defence corps played a good game (minus the first 15 seconds of the second period). Yes, there were times when the Panthers would hem the Maple Leafs in their own zone. However, this is the playoffs, where every team is going to be good. You’re unlikely to dominate for a full 60 minutes.

The Maple Leafs did sit back to start the third period, which allowed the Panthers to tie the game 3–3. However, after the Maple Leafs took the 4–3 lead, they locked it down. They continued to push for offence, but were defensively sound by getting sticks in lanes, forcing turnovers, and blocking shots. Classic Berube-style hockey.

The Maple Leafs led the night in blocked shots with 25 compared to the Panthers’ eight. Rielly, Simon Benoit, and Chris Tanvev blocked a total of 14 shots. It was also their work in front of Woll that was key. Notably, the defenders kept pucks to the outside and prevented high-danger scoring chances.

What has not received nearly enough attention, is the offensive production from the Maple Leafs’ back end. Every goal in last night’s game had an assist by a Maple Leafs defenceman. Morgan Rielly added two assists in last night’s game and now has three goals, three assists for six points in eight games. He is tied for second in goals and tied for third in points by defencemen in the playoffs.

What’s remarkable is that the Maple Leafs’ defencemen only scored a combined 21 goals during the regular season, ranking them last in the league. So far in the playoffs, they have scored seven goals in eight games. Exactly one-third of their regular season goal total in less than 10% of the games. 

The Maple Leafs’ defence corps has been a bright spot at both ends of the ice this playoffs.

Time for Plan 1B

The big story heading into Game 2 was that the Maple Leafs would be without starting goaltender Anthony Stolarz after a head injury by Panthers’ forward Sam Bennett in Game 1. Perhaps unsurprising, Bennett did not receive any supplemental discipline from the NHL. Given Bennett’s history, especially against the Maple Leafs, fans are upset.

Nevertheless, the Maple Leafs would have to turn to Joseph Woll. Woll has not started a game in three weeks and has yet to start a game in the playoffs this year. While Woll looked a bit shaky in the first part of the game, he became more and more confident as the game went on. 

Woll had to make several key saves to keep the Maple Leafs in the game, notably this save in the third period to keep the 4–3 lead:

I don’t think we have seen Woll at his best yet. It’s difficult, especially as a goalie, to enter in relief midway through the game for Stolarz with all the emotions around the situation. Woll backstopped the Maple Leafs to win Game 1. It’s not easy to start a playoff game in the second round after not starting a game for three weeks. Woll stood tall and held up his end of the bargain.

The curious case of the power play and Auston Matthews

While the power play did score in last night’s game, the power play is one for eight against the Panthers this series. Contrast this to the Panthers’ power play in the series, which is two for five. It does seem like the top unit is looking for the perfect play and instead should review the game tape of the second unit’s power play goal last night.

However, clearly Auston Matthews lacks his goal-scoring touch, which also does not help the power play. Matthews did have some chances, but he continues to miss the net. Is it nerves? Is he injured? Or a combination of both? 

Whatever the reason is, the Maple Leafs are working around it. The Maple Leafs have scored nine goals against the Panthers this series, which is one goal less than the total amount of goals they scored in the 2023 series against the Panthers in five games.

I think what is understated is that the Matthews line is going up against Aleksander Barkov’s line shift after shift, and that’s a tough order. Credit to the Matthews line for their 5-on-5 play, as they are outscoring the Barkov 3–0 in the series so far. 

While Matthews has not been scoring, he has been exceptional in the face-off dot and has been good defensively. Both Marner and Matthew Knies have been excellent, and part of their success has to be attributed to Matthews.

Onto the next

Game 3 is at Amerant Bank Arena in Florida on Friday night. The Panthers are going to come out swinging, desperately wanting to avoid going down 3–0 against the Maple Leafs. So far, the Maple Leafs have been good at keeping their emotions in check. The Maple Leafs need to stick to their game plan of being hard on the forecheck, creating opportunities on turnovers, and forcing the Panthers to the perimeter.

The Maple Leafs are going to need to match the intensity that the Panthers are going to bring, especially in the first few minutes of the game, in a building that is no doubt going to be electric.