TORONTO – Wipe the slate clean.
Looking to pull even in the Eastern Conference Second Round, the Florida Panthers will battle against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 2 at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday.
Getting off to a slow start in Game 1, the Panthers trailed 3-1 after the first period.
“It’s a fresh start, but like Paul always says, we have to learn from our losses,” defenseman Seth Jones said of trying to bounce back. “We didn’t come out with the start we wanted to. Obviously, they had the home crowd behind them. They were fast on the forecheck; they were quick to pucks. We want to be better with that and match that energy in Game 2.”
Getting the home crowd fired up right off the bat, William Nylander found the back of the net just 33 seconds into Game 1 to break the ice and put the Maple Leafs on top 1-0. Later in the period, Nylander struck again to double the lead, touching the twine to make it 2-0.
Putting the Panthers on the board, Jones threaded a shot down the slot and past Anthony Stolarz on the power play to cut the deficit to 2-1 at 16:57 of the first period. Unfortunately, that momentum was snatched back just 19 seconds later when Morgan Rielly scored to put Toronto up 3-1.
In six career playoff games against Florida, Nylander has scored four goals.
“His ability to control the puck, change angles, change directions, there may not be anybody better at it than he is,” head coach Paul Maurice said of Nylander.
With Chris Tanev scoring in the second period, the Panthers trailed 4-1 entering the third.
Back against the wall, they then started to mount their comeback.
Making it 4-2 just 1:39 into the third period, Eetu Luostarinen went to the net and re-directed a pass from Anton Lundell past Joseph Woll, who entered the game for Toronto in the second period after Stolarz went down the tunnel with an injury and did not return.
At 4:30, Uvis Balinskis scored the first playoff goal of his career to close the gap even further, beating Woll with a snipe from the left circle to make it 4-3. But at the 14-minute mark, Matthew Knies cashed in on a breakaway to send the Maple Leafs ahead 5-3.
Still not backing down, Sam Bennett, with the Panthers on a 6-on-5 advantage after pulling Bobrovsky for the extra attacker, lit the lamp to trim the deficit down to 5-4 with 1:55 left.
Despite a strong late push, the Panthers couldn’t find the final goal they needed before the final buzzer.
Given how Game 1 unfolded, the first few minutes of Game 2 will be an area of focus.
“We felt we were behind the game a little bit in how we moved our bodies, how we move the puck,” Maurice said. “That would be very similar to Game 3 in the Tampa series. That’s where we felt we need to get better.”
Getting some reinforcements on the back end, Aaron Ekblad will return to the lineup for the Panthers after serving a two-game suspension for an incident that occurred in Round 1.
Last taking the ice in Game 4 against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference First Round, the veteran defenseman scored the game-tying goal in a critical 4-2 win in Sunrise.
A Stanley Cup champion and proven performer in the playoffs, Ekblad’s 66 playoff games are the second-most by a defenseman in franchise history. In his return to action in Game 2, he is expected to be deployed in his usual spot alongside Gustav Forsling on the top pair.
“Really excited,” Ekblad said. “Obviously after Game 1, I’m hoping to provide some energy.”
In addition to Ekblad, rookie Mackie Samoskevich will also return for Game 2.
Last suiting up in Game 3 of Round 1, the 22-year-old sniper skated on the fourth line during this morning’s rushes in place of A.J. Greer. In 72 games during the regular season, he racked up 31 points, including ranking tied for eighth among NHL rookies with 15 goals.
“He just keeps improving," forward Anton Lundell said of Samoskevich, who'd been a healthy scratch. "We see how good [he is], how fast [he is], and how good a shot he has. I expect him to bring his own game – speed, very strong on the puck. Very happy for him.”
With Stolarz still recovering, Woll will start Game 2 for the Maple Leafs.
In his relief appearance in Game 1, Woll stopped 17 of 20 shots. Making 42 appearances in the regular season, the 26-year-old goaltender went 27-14-1 with a .909 save percentage.
A bright spot in defeat, the Panthers will also look to continue their success on the penalty kill against Toronto’s lethal five-forward power play. After going 16-for-18 in Round 1 against the Lightning, they killed off all five power plays for the Maple Leafs in Game 1.
As always, special teams could be the difference between winning and losing.
“It’s huge,” Lundell said of the team’s performance on the penalty kill. “To be able play good on the penalty kill, you win and lose games with that.”
THEY SAID IT
“He’s different, for sure. Straight from college, I thought he might be a little younger in his mindset as well, but no, he’s very mature for his age. Nothing really surprises him. He knows how good he is.” – Anton Lundell on Mackie Samoskevich
“I think when I’m being physical and confident with the puck and maintaining good gaps throughout the ice, I play a good game. That’s what I focus on in my game.” – Aaron Ekblad on what he’ll bring to Game 2
FIVE CATS STATS
- The Panthers rank first in the playoffs with seven goals from defensemen.
- Since 2021, the Panthers lead the NHL with 39 wins on the road.
- Eetu Luostarinen is riding a three-game point streak.
- Brad Marchand has recorded multiple assists in each of his last two games.
- Sam Bennett has fired off a team-high 24 shots on goal in the playoffs.
PROJECTED LINEUP (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Forwards
Carter Verhaeghe – Aleksander Barkov – Sam Reinhart
Evan Rodrigues – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Brad Marchand
Mackie Samoskevich – Nico Sturm – Jesper Boqvist
Defensemen
Gustav Forsling – Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola – Seth Jones
Nate Schmidt – Dmitry Kulikov
Goaltenders
Sergei Bobrovsky
Vitek Vanecek
RECENT TRANSACTIONS:
- April 25: F Jesse Puljujarvi assigned to Charlotte (AHL)
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN
When: Wednesday, May 7 at 7 p.m. ET
Where: Scotiabank Arena – Toronto, ON
TV & Streaming: ESPN, TVAS
Radio: 560 WQAM (Dade/Broward); 92.1 WZZR-FM (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); Panthers App; SiriusXM App & Streaming 931
Watch Party: Baptist Health IcePlex
