As the Toronto Maple Leafs gear up for a marquee clash against the Florida Panthers, a familiar voice from the NHL past sees echoes of his own career in the Leafs’ ongoing playoff frustrations.
Former NHL defenseman Ed Jovanovski, now serving as a TV analyst for the Panthers, joined Off the Roster to preview the matchup and reflect on his time with the early-2000s Vancouver Canucks-a team that, like today’s Maple Leafs, had the talent but struggled to make the deep playoff push fans were hoping for.
“In [Vancouver], we did have great teams,” Jovanovski said. “We’d score four, five, six goals a game… sometimes in the big moments we just couldn’t get it done.”
That Canucks core-featuring the Sedin twins, Todd Bertuzzi, and Markus Naslund-was electric in the regular season but never quite found the formula for postseason success. It’s a storyline that feels all too familiar in Toronto, where the Leafs have managed just two playoff series wins in the past 20 years despite a star-studded roster of their own.
Jovanovski knows firsthand what it’s like to play in a pressure-cooker Canadian market. But even he admits that the spotlight in Toronto burns a little hotter.
“You look at what’s going on in Toronto, it’s tough,” he said. “Even more so than Vancouver, it’s obviously that market where everything’s scrutinized. They’re just looking to find something to discuss about the team rather than maybe backing off a little bit and letting the guys go and play.”
That relentless attention becomes even more magnified in the postseason, where every shift is dissected and every missed opportunity becomes fuel for criticism. And while fans demand results-rightfully so-Jovanovski emphasized that the desire to win is never in question inside the locker room.
“I think the guys try their hardest each and every night,” he said. “No one’s trying to lose hockey games, but you understand that it is a business and you want results, especially in that market.
So, you feel for players in that sense. I know they want to do good.
I know it’s been a long time in Toronto where you had that playoff success.”
Last season’s second-round showdown between these two teams came up during the conversation-a series that saw Florida dig itself out of an early 0-2 hole before storming back and delivering a statement win in Game 7. According to Jovanovski, that performance was a masterclass in resilience and depth.
“The Panthers are a well-oiled machine,” he said. “They’ve been there before and fought through these series.
They’re not a team that relies on two lines to get it done. It’s four lines, six defensemen rolling throughout the game.
Just being calm under pressure at the right moments… The momentum was obviously kind of moving towards the Panthers’ side. It was an unbelievable game.
You could see right from start to finish what a clinic the Panthers put on.”
But while Florida had Toronto’s number in that series, the Panthers haven’t exactly come out flying to start this season. Injuries to key players have slowed their momentum, and the early standings reflect a team still trying to find its rhythm. That said, Jovanovski isn’t ready to hit the panic button.
“There’s time left,” he said. “Other than Tampa at 34 points, no one’s really running away with it.
So what does that mean? In hockey terms, it’s about consistency.
Finding a way to maybe string three or four games together, get a little separation, get yourself back into that mix. I’m not too concerned about the Panthers.
Obviously, they’re dealing with a lot of injuries-high-end injuries. So it’s been a tough grind.
They’re working hard, just not getting the results they want right now.”
It’s a long season, and both teams have plenty to prove. For the Leafs, it’s about showing they can finally take that next step when it matters most. For the Panthers, it’s about weathering the storm and rediscovering the form that made them so dangerous last spring.
Puck drops tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET in Sunrise. And with both teams carrying big expectations, don’t be surprised if this one feels like a playoff preview-even in December.