The Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs are no strangers to each other - and by now, you can safely call them rivals. When you meet in the second round of the playoffs twice in three years, the stakes naturally rise, and so does the tension.
The Panthers have come out on top both times, but don’t mistake that for overconfidence. This is a matchup they still treat with respect - and for good reason.
Brad Marchand, never one to shy away from a headline or a soundbite, has been vocal about his admiration for Toronto’s roster before. Whether it’s genuine praise or gamesmanship is anyone’s guess, but his comments this week struck a familiar tone.
“What are we, 25 games in? If you think that your playoff dreams are done 25 games in, you’ve got bigger problems,” Marchand said Monday.
“I know they don’t think that in the room. Obviously, with the media attention and the fan support they have in Toronto, things get blown way out of proportion up there.
They definitely don’t think that in the room. What are they, four points out of a playoff spot?
“If people are thinking they’re out of a playoff spot for the season, they gotta find a new job.”
That’s classic Marchand - direct, a little sharp around the edges, but not without a point. The Maple Leafs have taken heat for a slow start, but the standings tell a different story.
They’re tied with the Panthers in points and just four back of third place in the Atlantic Division. In a tightly packed Eastern Conference, that’s hardly a death sentence.
And let’s not forget who’s in that Toronto locker room. Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares, and a rising star in Matthew Knies - this is still a team with plenty of firepower.
Rookie Easton Cowan is starting to carve out a role too, giving the Leafs another spark plug. The offense isn’t the issue.
What’s been under the microscope is their defensive play - but Saturday’s 7-2 win over Pittsburgh showed what this team can do when the blue line holds up its end of the bargain.
Marchand isn’t the only Panther who senses the added energy when these two teams meet. Aaron Ekblad, who’s no stranger to postseason battles, knows what kind of atmosphere to expect.
“There’s going to be a lot of juice in the building,” Ekblad said. “There’s always emotional matches with teams we’ve played in the playoffs.
They bring it just as much as we do. It’s always a fun game for the fans.”
Jesper Boqvist echoed that sentiment, noting that while the Panthers haven’t always gotten the results they’ve wanted lately, the overall level of play is there - and tonight’s matchup is a chance to prove it.
“A good team coming here,” Boqvist said. “I feel like our game has been pretty good, even though we haven’t got all the points we’ve wanted. A good matchup, for sure.”
Anton Lundell kept it simple: “We know if we want to go to playoffs, we have to play against them to go forward. We’re going to see them again. That always brings a little more energy for the game.”
That’s the reality for both clubs. Neither is playing at the level they expect of themselves, but there’s a sense that a turning point is coming.
Maybe it starts tonight. Maybe this is the game that flips the switch for one of these teams.
The Panthers know what’s at stake - and they know the Leafs do too.
Now it’s just a matter of who wants it more.