FORT LAUDERDALE – “Huge.”
That’s how Florida Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling described the work the team’s penalty kill put in during a heated first-round series with the in-state rival Tampa Bay Lightning.
Taking care of business in five games, the defending Stanley Cup champions were nearly perfect on the penalty kill, going 16-for-18 against Tampa Bay's usually elite power play.
Superb in the series, they were perfect on the penalty kill in Games 2, 3 and 4.
“That’s how you win series,” Forsling said. “You need your PK to be on point.”
Heading into the second round, that statement will need to ring true once again.
Set to drop the puck in Game 1 against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday at Scotiabank Arena, the Panthers will face another tough – and this time unique – test on the penalty kill.
Cashing in on 35.3% of their trips to the power play during their series win over the Ottawa Senators in six games in Round 1, the Maple Leafs deploy five forwards on their top unit.
Essentially putting all their best eggs in one basket, the unit features Toronto’s top-five scorers from the regular season: Mitch Marner (102 points), William Nyland (84 points), Auston Matthew (78 points), John Tavares (74 points) and Matthew Knies (58 points).
In Round 1, those players combined for 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) on the power play.
Outside of those players, no other Maple Leafs skaters recorded a single power-play point.
When facing the top unit, the Panthers know they’ll have to be on their toes.
“It allows for interchangeability,” head coach Paul Maurice said of the five-forward approach on the power play. “You don’t see on power plays with a defined defenseman up top that he rotates very much. He moves side to side, maybe gets down on the flank, but there won’t be a lot of interchange that happens. There’s more with the five-forward power play. You could start at the top and end up at the net. They’ve got enough experience doing those things. There will be quite a bit more movement, we feel, in their power play.”
With no defensemen on the ice, the Maple Leafs do however leave themselves a bit vulnerable.
Heading into Round 2, they’ve already allowed two shorthanded goals.
Always looking to take advantage of a mistake, the Panthers ranked second in the NHL during the regular season with 12 shorthanded goals, including a team-high five from 2025 Selke Trophy finalist Sam Reinhart.
While defense always comes first, the penalty kill could show some teeth this series as well.
“They’re confident in it right now,” Reinhart said of Toronto's execution with the man advantage. “They’ve got a tremendous amount of skill and talent. Just try to make them uncomfortable as possible out there.”
STURM STEPPING UP
Nico Sturm knew his job the moment he arrived to South Florida.
Kill penalties.
Coming over from the San Jose Sharks at the trade deadline, the veteran forward has done an exceptional job of doing just that through one round of the playoffs with the Panthers.
Racking up 13:56 of shorthanded ice time against the Lightning in Round 1 – the second most minutes among Florida’s forwards – Sturm was on the ice for just one goal against in that span.
Over those minutes, Tampa Bay registered just six scoring chances.
“He’s been amazing,” Forsling said of Sturm. “Big, strong guy. He works really hard. He’s been a perfect fit for us.”
After winning 62.7% of his faceoffs with the Sharks this season prior to being dealt, Sturm has continued to impress in the dot, winning 51.1% of his draws during the first round.
Through one round, his 14 shorthanded faceoffs are eight more than the next Panther.
“It’s the best time of the year,” said Sturm, a Stanley Cup champion with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022. “You want to play every other night and stay in a rhythm. Every game, every series, you’re looking to extend your season by another 14 days or however long the series takes. You want to keep playing hockey as long as possible this time of the year.”
MARCHAND AND THE MAPLE LEAFS
While Brad Marchand has also been contributing to the penalty kill since being traded to the Panthers, the former Boston Bruins captain has also killed the Maple Leafs during his playoff career.
Historically, Toronto has never beaten Marchand beyond Game 82, going 0-4 in four head-to-head playoff series.
In 27 playoff games, he’s logged 29 points (10 goals, 19 assists) against the Maple Leafs.
Of those goals, four have been game-winners.
Since his debut in 2009-10, no player has recorded more playoff points against Toronto.
Getting off to a hot start, Marchand posted four assists -- including a pair of primary helpers in the series-clinching Game 5 -- and a +5 plus/minus rating against the Lightning in Round 1.
Forming a formidable trio with Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen, Marchand and his two fantastic Finnish linemates led Tampa Bay 4-0 in goals when they were deployed at 5-on-5.
Heading into Round 2, the hope is his experience against the Maple Leafs benefits his linemates most of all.
“These forwards, if they spend enough time against defensemen they’ll learn their tendencies, the little things that we’re not teaching them on the ice,” Maurice said. “It’s experiential only. Then they do share that. That’s what we’re excited about with that line. We’ve got two young guys with a guy that’s spent a lot of years in the league.”
