Playoff Preview: Florida Panthers vs Toronto Maple Leafs

 The Panthers completed one of the most shocking upsets in NHL History, not matched since 2019 when another record breaking team was eliminated. But, their story is not done. They have a chance to shock the world again with another upset victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs, who finally made it out of the first round for the first time since 2004. 

After the Panthers defeated the Bruins, I, like many others, was at a loss for words. They were down 3-1, but they played with fire, with a desperation I haven't seen any other elimination facing team play with. They fought hard in each and every moment, buried their chances in game 5 and especially game 6, and then stunned the world in the OT of Game 7. But, with all of this, they weren't even being outplayed in this series. They were the better team on xG%, and the margin was even higher on G%. They deserved to move on, the Bruins did not. Matthew Tkachuk was the hero of the series, with 11 points in the 7 games, and being a force whenever he's on the ice. He massively got under the skin of every single Boston Bruin, and Panthers fans hope he can repeat this cycle against the Maple Leafs. Carter Verhague of course won them the series with an incredible snipe in OT Game 7, and Brandon Montour also had a fantastic series. The Bruins did not look like a record breaking team during these games, and it is all the more impressive that this happened during the time of question marks in net. 

Sergei Bobrovsky has now won two series vs President's Trophy winners, coming in for Game 5, and though he had a .891 SV%, he played relatively solidly. The score fest that was game 6 definitely negatively impacts his numbers, and for some reason, when Bob is the underdog, he just steps his game up. His game 7 was really solid, and he's a lock for the first game or two against Toronto. The option to go back to Alex Lyon is of course still there, but his rough first few games make Bob the obvious choice. 

The Leafs finally broke their curse. For the First time since 2004, they won a playoff series. And not only that, but they played really well in their series vs Tampa Bay, making comebacks, and outside of Game 1, completely and utterly outplaying the Bolts. They did not choke a 3-1 series lead like Boston did, either. They lost the game 5 after taking the dominating lead, but came back and held strong, winning in overtime in game 6. Their heroes this series are their big names. Each of them played really well, with Marner, Rielly, and Matthews leading the way. John Tavares, their hometown boy, scored the Series Winning Goal in overtime as well. In net, Ilya Samsonov had a solid series. Again, everything looks worse because of that absolutely atrocious game 1, but taking that out of account, the Leafs had a great series. And they have to feel good about their chances not having to play Boston. If there is a time for the Leafs to go on a massive run, it is now.

Prediction: Leafs in 6

Season Series: 3-0-1 Toronto

This series is tough to predict. Of course, the Panthers are underdogs again. They should be. But, it's hard to rule them out after they beat the Boston Bruins. But, the Blue Jackets of 2019 also lost in round 2, and I think the Panthers end of the road is like this as well. The Leafs are a strong, hungry team that finally won their series, and they should take over this series early. Bobrovsky can try his best, but the Leafs offense is dynamic. The way the Panthers win is by playing with that desperation they had since game 5. If you keep that up, this Panthers team plays like the Leafs, and it's gonna be a long series. But, if this series gets to 2-0 or 3-1, the Leafs need to finish their chances, and I think this will happen and the Leafs will indeed finish their chances. It's gonna be another fun series though. 

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