Toronto Maple Leafs discovering playoff form with crucial win vs. Panthers
The Toronto Maple Leafs needed to come with another big effort in a crucial game against the Florida Panthers with big playoff implications.
If there is one thing the Toronto Maple Leafs have shown in their two-day trip in Florida, they are willing to play with the discipline that is necessary to be successful.
Sure Tuesday’s win over the Tampa Bay Lightning wasn’t perfect and came at a price but Thursday’s victory over the Florida Panthers showed what this team is capable of when the stakes are high.
Down 3-1 in the first period, the storyline was pointed towards Frederik Andersen‘s shaky play in net potentially costing the Leafs valuable points. Instead, the team rallied and Andersen shut things down while providing a 10 per cent boost to their playoff chances if you check out MoneyPuck.com.
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Seeing William Nylander score the crucial goal to pull the Leafs ahead was satisfying for many reasons considering there were moments in the game where he was engaged and pushing the pace. Nylander was also rewarded once again for his desire to search out opportunities in front of the net.
Considering who the Leafs did not have in the lineup, they did a pretty good job holding the Panthers stars from having as much of an impact as they’re accustomed to. It also helps that the Leafs could rely on their forwards to chip in and keep Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau in the defensive zone as much as they could.
It also helps that the Leafs limited most of Florida’s chances in the slot and in front of the net if you look at the heatmap from the game. That is something Toronto has been struggling with most of the season.
Kasperi Kapanen has been one of the more engaged players on the Leafs the past few games after coming out with a big game against the Pittsburgh Penguins and having a similar impact Thursday night.
Stepping in when Travis Dermott took a questionable hit in the corner, Kapanen is showing how he can be the pain in the butt type of player the Leafs were missing with Nazem Kadri gone. Scoring goals doesn’t hurt either considering the team’s depth was called out for not pulling their weight offensively.
Whether or not the team can rely on Martin Marincin to play 20:02 a night will be tough to see happening over a long-term period but you can’t be picky with Morgan Rielly, Jake Muzzin and Cody Ceci sidelined.
Going forward, the Leafs will need this focus and desire to continue against the Vancouver Canucks Saturday as they try to keep their advantage over the Panthers.
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What impressed you about the Leafs win over the Panthers? Can they rely on this team to play this way until they get reinforcements? Let us know in the comments below.