Maple Leafs Proved They Could Win Game 1 Battle But Now Must Win the War

What’s impressive about the Game 1 win is that they maintained their lead with their offence leading the way. They battled by running up the score and not sitting back and relying on their defence or backup goaltender. It’s that adjustment, which was different from the first round series against the Ottawa Senators, that stood out. It makes the Maple Leafs look like a team that, in the playoffs, can understand the situation and win the game accordingly, allowing them to string together a few wins.

The Maple Leafs powered through the third period and beat a Panthers team known for comebacks. Game 1 was just the start of what will be a long series. It’s a reminder that the Maple Leafs might have taken the first game, but every game will be a fight until the end against these Panthers.

Panthers Are Used to the Long Game

Deep playoff runs will teach a team a lot of things. One of the lessons the Panthers have learned is that every game feels like a sprint, but the playoffs are still a marathon (16 games at the minimum, 28 games maximum). One game won’t make a difference, a few games will, and it takes a lot of endurance to reach the Stanley Cup Final and win it all.

The Panthers lost Game 1, but they set themselves up for a series victory. The offence is playing well, and they saw how the Maple Leafs will try to beat them at the other end of the ice, by playing a north-south game and finding shots in the high-danger areas. The Panthers are prepared to adjust, and they will.

On top of that, they know they can make this series a physical one, and the Maple Leafs, like the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round, don’t have a response. The Panthers have become the “Broad Street Bullies” of the 2020s, and until a team knocks them out, they’ll keep playing and winning with a physical, hard-hitting, and forechecking brand of hockey.

Game 1 was a shock for the Panthers, a game where they thought they’d win until a slow start cost them. They were chasing the game, and usually, they are the team setting the tone. The Panthers are used to the longevity of a playoff series and will make adjustments, preventing the Maple Leafs from catching them by surprise again.

Stolarz & Concerns for the Maple Leafs

There are two ways to look at the Sam Bennett collision with Anthony Stolarz. It was a strike to the head of the Maple Leafs goaltender that removed him from the game, sent him to the hospital, and didn’t result in a suspension. So, let’s try to look at the two perspectives.

Maple Leafs Perspective: That hit was as dirty as it gets! An elbow to the head to purposely take Stolarz out of a game and possibly the series. Bennett knew what he was doing, and of course, he’ll deny it the next day. If the NHL had any standards, it would suspend him. This league must protect its goaltenders, and this sets a terrible precedent, especially in the playoffs when the referees swallow the whistles.

Panthers Perspective: Physical play is common in the playoffs, and that was a hockey play. Bennett was trying to get to the net and collided with Stolarz, but he didn’t go out of his way to do so. It’s like the Nazem Kadri collision with Jordan Binnington in the 2022 Second Round or when Chris Kreider flew into Carey Price in the 2014 Eastern Conference Final. These plays happen, and they are dirty. However, they are part of the game, especially in the playoffs. Call Bennett a dirty player, but if Max Domi did the same thing, you’d probably admire his urge to go to the dirty areas and try to make a play.

Regardless of how the teams should take the play, the bottom line is that Stolarz is out for the time being and must recover from a concussion. The Maple Leafs must win with Woll in the net or prove they can win regardless of their goaltender, and if they are getting elite play between the pipes. They’ve done it all season, and now, it’s about proving they can do it in the playoffs.

The best way to help the goaltending is by fixing the defence. The Maple Leafs allowed 29 shots in Game 1, which isn’t a lot for Stolarz, but for Woll in the playoffs (who faced 20 shots in 30 minutes of relief), it is. The Maple Leafs didn’t play well defensively, and that’s the real concern, especially in a series that can easily become a back-and-forth, high-scoring one.

The improvements start with the defensive unit, where Chris Tanev, Jake McCabe, and Morgan Rielly, who all stepped up on the offensive end of the ice in Game 1, must play well in their own end, as they have all season. The improvements also stem from Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander stepping up defensively. The stars played well at both ends of the ice against the Senators, and they must do so again against the Panthers.

Maple Leafs Must Prove Why This Time, It’s Different

The Maple Leafs survived Game 1, where they built up a lead and shut the door on the Panthers. This isn’t a new thing for the Maple Leafs. They’ve gotten off to strong starts before, but that’s not what they or the fanbase care about.

They’ve taken an early series lead before, and they did it last round as well. It’s all about finishing. The Maple Leafs struggled to do that against the Senators, blowing leads in the third period of Games 2 and 3 while nearly losing the series altogether with losses in Games 4 and 5. Taking the Panthers lightly late in games or as the series goes on will only see them watching the Eastern Conference Final from the couch.

The Maple Leafs must close out this series strong. They got off to a hot start, and the real challenge lies ahead. Winning Game 2 at home suddenly becomes a must for a team looking to win the long game against the Panthers, a team that’s done it before multiple times.