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Max Domi of the Toronto Maple Leafs celebrates scoring an overtime winning goal with his teammates during Game Two of the First Round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Ottawa Senators (Photo by Thomas Skrlj/NHLI via Getty Images)

Maple Leafs News & Rumours: Speed, Marner, Cowan & the Oilers

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By The Old Prof | Last updated May 13, 2025 11:05 AM ET

The Toronto Maple Leafs are heading into Game 5 with the series tied 2-2 and the sting of a 3-0 shutout still fresh in everyone’s minds. It’s familiar territory for the Blue & White. The pressure is mounting, the momentum hangs in the balance, and questions swirl about whether this team can finally take the next step.

Item One: There’s Good News and There’s Bad News for Toronto

The good news? Fans have seen flashes of championship-level hockey from Toronto this spring. The bad news? Those flashes haven’t lasted long enough. If they want to take control of the series—and ultimately lift the Stanley Cup—some habits need to change quickly.

Discipline has to be the starting point. Game 4’s early penalties killed any rhythm and handed Florida control. Indeed, the Panthers would score in one of their four times with the man advantage. Toronto was playing from behind from the get-go.

The Maple Leafs must also attack the middle of the ice more aggressively. Too much perimeter play made Sergei Bobrovsky’s shutout look easy. And perhaps most importantly, they must clean up their puck management. Turnovers have gifted the Panthers chances and tilted the ice in the wrong direction. The blueprint is simple: stay out of the box, move the puck, shoot, crash the net, and stop giving the puck away.

Execution, however, will be everything. The Maple Leafs also dominated when they played with speed. Their best stretch was the beginning of Game 3 in Florida. If they can reprise that play, they can dominate.

Item Two: Berube Sends Message to Marner: Be More Direct

With the Maple Leafs heading into a pivotal Game 5 tied 2-2 with the Panthers, head coach Craig Berube didn’t mince words when discussing Mitch Marner’s recent struggles. The star winger has gone two straight games without registering a single shot on goal. That Marner carries the puck so much makes his lack of shooting alarming. He’s supposed to be one of Toronto’s offensive engines.

There’s no other way to interpret Berube’s comments after Game 4. These weren’t observations; they were a clear challenge. It’s a message he’s been sending the Maple Leafs’ elite offensive players all season – don’t be too cute with the puck.

Berube called for more urgency and simplicity in Marner’s game, emphasizing that it’s not always about finding the perfect play. “He wants to upgrade the chance,” Berube said. “But we need him to shoot the puck, too.” The message was clear: stop waiting for the highlight-reel assist and start playing playoff hockey—fast, direct, and gritty.

Mitch Marner of the Toronto Maple Leafs, left, celebrates his goal against the Florida Panthers with teammates Chris Tanev and Jake McCabe during the third period in Game Two of the Second Round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images)

With 10 points in 10 playoff games, Marner hasn’t been invisible, but the Maple Leafs need him to drive offence, not defer. If he’s going to make a difference in Game 5, it starts with putting pucks on net, battling for rebounds, and setting the tone—not circling the zone looking for something better.

Item Three: Easton Cowan Breaks London Knights Playoff Scoring Record

Easton Cowan is putting a definitive stamp on his Ontario Hockey League (OHL) career and the London Knights’ record books. The Maple Leafs prospect scored two goals and added an assist in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final against the Oshawa Generals, pushing his playoff totals to an eye-popping 12 goals and 35 points in just 15 games. The three-point outing vaulted Cowan past the Knights’ all-time playoff scoring record, adding another milestone to a historic junior season.

The 2023 first-round pick has made a habit of defying meagre expectations since the Maple Leafs called his name 28th overall. Criticized at the time as a gamble, Cowan has responded with a 36-game point streak to end last season, followed by a record-breaking 56-game streak that carried through this year, surpassing even Doug Gilmour’s OHL mark.

Easton Cowan, Toronto Maple Leafs (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Although he didn’t crack the Maple Leafs roster out of camp, the organization’s decision to return him to junior has paid off. Cowan now looks poised to enter the 2025 training camp more confident and prepared to push for an NHL spot.

What’s Next for the Maple Leafs?

As Maple Leafs fans anxiously await Game 5, they might want to turn their eyes west and take a few notes from the Edmonton Oilers. Facing a heavy, structured Vegas Golden Knights team, not unlike the Panthers, the Oilers are putting on a clinic in playoff-style hockey. They’re playing tight defensively, supporting their goalie, and keeping things simple: quick passes, direct entries up the sidewall, and a relentless focus on getting pucks to the net. It’s the exact kind of game Berube has been preaching since he took over behind the bench in Toronto.

The Oilers are making a skilled, heavy team look ordinary by beating them to loose pucks, owning the neutral zone, and creating chaos with second chances and rebound goals. There’s no reason the Maple Leafs can’t do the same. They have the depth, speed, and talent. At least in Game 4, they’ve lacked that same sense of urgency and commitment to playing direct, playoff-style hockey.

Game 5 is about more than just regaining the series lead. It’s a chance to show they’ve learned what it takes to win at this time of year. If the Maple Leafs want to prove they’re a real Stanley Cup threat, the blueprint is right there—follow Edmonton’s lead.