Rival Brad Marchand Praises 'Different' Maple Leafs Team After Game 2

Marchand, who is 36 years old, was shockingly traded to the Panthers from the Boston Bruins at the 2025 Trade Deadline. Split between the two teams, he scored 23 goals and added 28 assists for 51 points through 71 games. Through seven playoff games, he has scored one goal and added six assists for seven points, maintaining an impressive point-per-game average. While he has fit well with his new team, the Maple Leafs have a new head coach, a stronger lineup, and seem to be more motivated to prove everyone wrong than ever before. They’re going to be tough to beat, and Marchand knows that.

What Have the Maple Leafs Changed?

The Maple Leafs changed a lot heading into this season, and added even more before the postseason. They brought in Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson to bolster their blue line, and both players have been welcomed additions at both ends of the ice. Ekman-Larsson finished the season with 29 points through 77 games, while Tanev had 18 points in 75 games. Both of them played great in the defensive zone, and their two-way play has helped the Maple Leafs become favourites as the postseason moves along.

Stolarz joined the Maple Leafs this season after serving as the Panthers’ backup last season, and has played well enough to be trusted as their starter for the entire season. His injury from the first game may keep him out for a while, but their depth in goal with Joseph Woll and Matt Murray should be strong enough to help them take down the Panthers.

At the trade deadline, the Maple Leafs flipped a trade package that included top prospect Fraser Minten and acquired Brandon Carlo from the Bruins to bolster their defensive depth even more, and he has fit in quite well. They also brought in Scott Laughton from the Philadelphia Flyers to bolster their centre depth and add even more defensive strength to their forward lineup. They also decided to trade Connor Dewar and Conor Timmins to the Pittsburgh Penguins to shed salary and allow them to make these moves, and they have panned out well.

At the end of the day, for Marchand, who had played for the rival Bruins for plenty of seasons against the Maple Leafs, to praise the Maple Leafs speaks to how strong the team is and how tough they are to play against now. They only have a two-game lead and still need to pick up two more victories if they want to get to the Eastern Conference Final, but the team they have constructed has more promise and more depth, and they have a legitimate chance of taking out the defending champions.

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