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Game 1 of the second-round series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers is now officially scheduled for Monday night. Toronto held an optional practice Saturday, after eliminating the Ottawa Senators in six games.
Morgan Rielly, Chris Tanev, Calle Jarnkrok, Bobby McMann, Nick Robertson, Pontus Holmberg, Simon Benoit, Brandon Carlo and Steven Lorentz were among the players participating in the skate, via Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun.
Scott Laughton did not attend the optional skate. Laughton blocked a shot at the end of Game 6 and appeared to be in some pain, as William Nylander scooped the puck off the ricochet and notched an empty-net goal to seal the 4-2 victory.
“He’s all good. That’s the type of thing you need in the playoffs, putting his body on the line. That’s what you need,” Berube said of Laughton via Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun.
Laughton was a key part of Toronto’s fourth line throughout the first round, centring Steven Lorentz and Calle Jarnkrok. Toronto is expected to keep this line intact, while Matthew Knies, Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner are cemented as the top line. Berube experimented throughout the Battle of Ontario and elevated Max Pacioretty to the second line, alongside John Tavares and William Nylander. Although Berube continued to tinker with his combos, his decision to keep Pacioretty ultimately paid off, as the 36-year-old notched the game-winning goal in Game 6.
Anthony Stolarz is widely expected to start the second round for the Maple Leafs. Stolarz started all six games during the first round, posting a 2.01 goals against average and .901 save percentage, while saving 3.1 goals above expected at 5-on-5 via MoneyPuck.
Maple Leafs’ projected lineup vs. Panthers
Matthew Knies-Auston Matthews-Mitch Marner
Max Pacioretty-John Tavares-William Nylander
Bobby McMann-Pontus Holmberg-Max Domi
Steven Lorentz-Scott Laughton-Calle Jarnkrok
Jake McCabe-Chris Tanev
Morgan Rielly-Brandon Carlo
Simon Benoit-Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Anthony Stolarz
Joseph Woll
More must-reads:
- Rangers forward in a fight for his future amid new competition
- Maple Leafs make six roster cuts with two notable surprises
- The 'Multiple 30-TD pass NFL seasons' quiz
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Patriots have Drake Maye concern after comments by Steelers LB T.J. Watt
The New England Patriots offense had an ugly performance in their 21-14 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt keyed on what opposing defenses should look to do against the Patriots. Per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Watt said after the game that the Steelers had a plan for how to get the Patriots to cough up the football. “Mike (Tomlin) had a big presentation on it earlier in the week,” Watt said, of the Steelers’ Patriots prep. “I think 38 (Rhamondre Stevenson) had eight or nine fumbles last year (he had seven), which is a very high amount. Four (Antonio Gibson) had a couple fumbles. And we knew 10 (Drake Maye) had a bunch of fumbles as well (he had nine), when he was in the pocket. "It was something we highlighted each and every day. There was a constant reminder throughout the week. We just needed to deliver and I’m glad we did.” Why T.J. Watt's comments are concerning for Patriots Tomlin's presentation worked. The Patriots turned the ball over five times, four of which were lost fumbles. Stevenson lost two fumbles. Maye lost one fumble and had an interception. The issue with Stevenson isn't as big a deal for the Patriots as Maye. Rookie TreVeyon Stevenson will eventually become the lead back in New England. But Watt's diagnosis for Maye is concerning. Part of Maye's successful development in the league will mean he can play efficient football in the pocket. Not only is his passing game a liability there, but opposing defenses know he lacks awareness in the pocket and is susceptible to fumbling. Look for defenses to take advantage of that information until the Patriots can stop committing those turnovers.
Micah Parsons has savage response to Packers' loss to Browns
The Green Bay Packers are reeling after they blew a 10-0 lead at the start of the fourth quarter on Sunday. The Packers allowed the Cleveland Browns to score 13 unanswered points to win 13-10 in front of 65,470 fans at Huntington Bank Field. Following the game, defensive end Micah Parsons had a crude response to the comeback. "Sometimes, just like today, you s--- the bed," Parsons said via ESPN. "That's just the reality of it. It happens to the best teams. Even the best Super Bowl champs make mistakes, and they pay for it early. You go back to the history of the champions and who've they've played and games they should've won. It's just that competitive. "It's that hard to win. It's hard as hell to win football games. When you win football games, it's a celebration. But when you lose, it sucks." What went wrong for the Packers in loss to Browns Parsons and the Packers had a couple of major blunders in the final minute that they want back. Green Bay kicker Brandon McManus had a blocked field goal attempt that allowed the Browns a chance to get in range for a game-winning field goal. Parsons was called for a neutral zone infraction on the first play of the Browns' drive, allowing Cleveland to start the series from the Green Bay 48-yard line with 21 seconds remaining. Parsons apologized for the penalty, calling it "unacceptable." The All-Pro finished with two tackles. Parsons has extra motivation for avenging the loss against the Browns. The Packers are set to travel to play his former team, the Dallas Cowboys, on "Sunday Night Football" in Week 4.
Steelers' Once Promising Third-Year Defender Could Be Relegated On The Depth Chart
The Pittsburgh Steelers have begun the 2025 NFL season with a 2-1 record, however there are some things that need to be figured out. The defense is shaky at best despite forcing five turnovers in Sunday's win over the New England Patriots in Week 3. The group still struggles to get off of the field on possession downs, and stopping the run has been an issue throughout the first three weeks of the season. A lot of that starts with the front seven and the interior defensive line. Pittsburgh has been banged up in that area, but some healthy contributors returning could shake up the lineup. Pittsburgh was able to see the regular season debut of Derrick Harmon on Sunday. The organization selected Harmon in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but he suffered a sprained MCL in the preseason finale which kept him on the sidelines throughout the first two weeks of the regular season. He made an impact while serving in a limited role on Sunday against New England as he recorded a sack and two total tackles, and he is expected to help the run defense in the near future. Team insider Mark Kaboly spoke about the interior defensive line after the game on Sunday on the most recent episode of Kaboly + Mack, and he believes there will be two rookies starting in that area very soon. "They made some moves there, and it was able to help them out," Kaboly said. "That's a definite difference in what they were able to do. And I think it's just a matter of time until Yahya Black, Derrick Harmon and Cam Heyward's your one, two and three across the front. It's just a matter of time." Currently, Cam Heyward and Yahya Black are the starting defensive tackles for Pittsburgh while Keeanu Benton has been the starting nose tackle. That is the part of the lineup that will be shuffled, as Benton will likely switch to being a rotational piece, while Harmon enters the starting lineup. He will likely takeover the duties at defensive tackle, while Black shuffles to nose tackle. Benton was expected to take a leap forward going into his second season in 2024, but that didn't necessarily happen. He has made some big plays for Pittsburgh, but he has not been the consistent force that the organization had hoped he would be to this point. There was hope he would improve once again during the 2025 season, but if anything, the third-year pro has shown some regression since his rookie season. Moving to a rotational role where he can fill in at both defensive tackle and nose tackle might be best for Benton at this point. He doesn't necessarily have the size to be a true nose tackle in the NFL, so the coaching staff in Pittsburgh has seemingly been setting him up for failure a little bit in that regard. He would likely play better at defensive tackle, which is something the coaching staff could find out if the starting defensive line gets shuffled. Steelers Need To See Keeanu Benton Step Up No matter what role he is serving, Benton needs to play better moving forward. The interior defensive line is a key part of stopping the run, and Pittsburgh has struggled to do that. It is going to be hard to win meaningful games if that problem persists, especially against the better teams in the NFL that show up on the schedule later in the year. Benton needs to show some signs of progression, whether that be as a starter, or as someone who rotates in with the starting lineup throughout a game. Benton can still have a future in Pittsburgh, but he is going to need to improve in 2025 while setting himself up for success in 2026.
Green Bay Packers, Micah Parsons see another Dallas Cowboys offensive starter ruled out for Week 4
Exciting Jordan Addison Development Occurs Ahead of Vikings-Steelers
The Minnesota Vikings are fourth-worst in the NFL with 503 passing yards through three weeks, but they've been compromised. Wide receiver Jordan Addison was suspended for the first three games for violating the NFL's Substances of Abuse Policy. The 23-year-old was arrested on suspicion of DUI near Los Angeles International Airport in July 2024 and pleaded no contest to a "wet reckless" charge this past July, which is a misdemeanor offense. The Vikings drafted Addison No. 23 overall out of USC in 2023, and he was productive in his first two seasons. The 5-foot-11-inch, 175-pounder has career totals of 1,786 receiving yards on 133 catches with 19 touchdowns over 32 games. Addison is now done with his suspension, via NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. "Suspensions are over for 49ers wide receiver Demarcus Robinson and Vikings WR Jordan Addison, who both served three games and are now back with their teams," he reported on Monday. Minnesota will now have its No. 2 receiver back moving forward. Superstar wideout Justin Jefferson leads the team with 12 catches and 200 yards, while the next receiving leader is fellow wideout Josh Nailor with 96 yards. Tight end T.J. Hockenson also has nine receptions for 76 yards. Addison has a better track record than Nailor, who has never topped 414 yards in a season since entering the league in 2022. On the other hand, Hockenson notched 95 catches, 960 yards, and five touchdowns in 2023, but he's a safety blanket underneath and over the middle. Addison can help take the top off of the defense alongside Jefferson, which should open up the Vikings' offense. Vikings Positioned for Success Against Steelers Not only is Minnesota getting Addison back for this Sunday's bout with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but it'll face a defense that ranks 23rd in the NFL with 25.7 points allowed per game. The Steelers did hold the New England Patriots' offense to 14 points in last Sunday's win, but they coughed up 32 points to the New York Jets in Week 1 and 31 to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2. Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (ankle) is out, but veteran backup Carson Wentz showed he can still play in Sunday's 48-10 trouncing of the Cincinnati Bengals, completing 14 of 20 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns. They're now 2-1 ahead of their Week 4 matchup with the Steelers in Dublin, Ireland, and could go 3-1 if Addison picks up where he left off.
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