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May 18, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Florida Panthers forward Aleksander Barkov (16) congratulates defenseman Seth Jones (3) on his goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period of game seven of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Panthers’ Comeback vs. Maple Leafs Shows the East Still Runs Through Them

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Alex Chauvancy | Last updated May 19, 2025 11:25 AM ET

The Florida Panthers showed why they’re the defending Stanley Cup champions. Facing a two-game deficit in the series and a two-goal deficit in Game 3, they rallied and won four of five games against the Toronto Maple Leafs to advance to the Eastern Conference Final for the third consecutive season.

There will be the usual narratives around the Maple Leafs, given their postseason history, but the Panthers deserve their credit. They were the better team from top to bottom, and they look poised to repeat as Eastern Conference champs and perhaps as Stanley Cup champions.

Panthers Were Relentless

Typically, the teams that dominate at five-on-five, or at least control play, make runs in the playoffs. Even though the Panthers lost the first two games of this series, it’s not because they played poorly at five-on-five. They controlled over 54 percent of the expected goals (xG%) in Game 1 and 74.5 percent in Game 2. They just couldn’t get saves from Sergei Bobrovsky, who had a save percentage of .800 at all strengths.

All the Panthers needed was to get saves as the series progressed, especially if they kept up their play at five-on-five, and that’s what occurred. Game 3 was a thriller that went to overtime, but Brad Marchand’s winner helped flip the series in the Panthers’ favor. They never looked back after that, making the Maple Leafs look like they didn’t belong in some games.

It was most evident in the Game 5 and 7 demolitions, with the Panthers ready to play from the opening faceoff and never giving the Maple Leafs a chance. The Panthers’ forecheck was relentless and gave the Maple Leafs all kinds of trouble. They were winning all the one-on-one battles and forcing Maple Leafs defenders into careless decisions with the puck.

There were multiple instances of Maple Leafs skaters turning the puck over on defensive-zone breakouts. It didn’t bite the Maple Leafs in the first, but the Panthers’ relentless pressure caught up to the Maple Leafs in the second. Once they went up 3-0, it felt like game over.

That’s what championship teams do, and the Panthers showed why they have a shot at repeating. The most impressive part is that they’re getting contributions from all over the lineup. Seth Jones had a massive Game 7, while Marchand has been a valuable contributor playing on the third line with Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarainen.

Now, with Bobrovsky seeming to return to form, the Panthers have what it takes to make another run to the Stanley Cup Final. They have a challenge ahead of them in the Carolina Hurricanes, but you have to like their chances.

Panthers May Be the Best Team Left

It’s rare that you get the four best teams in the Final Four of the NHL playoffs, but there’s a pretty good argument we’re entering the Conference Finals with the four best teams. The Panthers, however, may be the best of them all.

The Hurricanes have won eight of their ten playoff games, but they’ve had an easy path. The New Jersey Devils were without Jack Hughes and lacked the necessary talent to give the Hurricanes a run for their money. Meanwhile, the Washington Capitals were never as good as their record indicated, and the Hurricanes proved that.

The Panthers played the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final two years ago and swept them. I’m not expecting that this time, but the Panthers should be the favorites. The Hurricanes have an advantage in that they’ll come into the Eastern Conference Final on more rest, but that shouldn’t be an issue for the Panthers. They’ve been here before and know what it takes.

Aside from experience, which tends to get overrated in these situations, their roster is just better. Having Marchand in a third-line role is a luxury, something the Hurricanes don’t have. Even the Hurricanes’ top of the lineup lacks a game-breaking scorer. Andrei Svechnikov is having an excellent postseason, but I wouldn’t take him over the Panthers’ top players, especially if Matthew Tkachuk gets going.

Assuming the Panthers defeat the Hurricanes and advance to the Cup Final, they’ll take on the Dallas Stars or Edmonton Oilers. The Stars are in the Western Conference Final for the third consecutive year, but I don’t know if I love their chances against the Oilers. There’s nearly a ten percent difference between the Oilers and Stars’ xG percentages at five-on-five. If Stuart Skinner holds up his end of the bargain, we could be heading for a rematch of last year’s Stanley Cup Final.

The Panthers would have their hands full against the Oilers, who were one win away from hoisting the Cup last season. But this Panthers team may be even better than last year’s, with how Jones and Marchand have played in the postseason.

And what’s most impressive about this Panthers team is that they seem to be harder to play against as the series progress. That was the case last season in their run to their first Stanley Cup in franchise history — just ask the New York Rangers. And that’s been the case this year, too.

Everyone, including myself, thought the Panthers’ first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning would go six or seven games, possibly with the Lightning advancing. But the Panthers made quick work of the Lightning, eliminating them in five games and improving as the series progressed.

We saw what they just did to the Maple Leafs. Aside from Game 6, the Panthers skated circles around the Maple Leafs in Games 4, 5, and 7. That’s a scary proposition for the Hurricanes and whoever they may face in the Stanley Cup if they advance that far.

This is not to say the Panthers are a lock to win the Stanley Cup or the East again, but their comeback against the Maple Leafs showed they will not go quietly. They have the deepest roster of the remaining teams, and Bobrovsky seems to be locking in at the right time. They won’t be an easy out, and we shouldn’t expect any less of them.

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