The Florida Panthers appear to have found their game. The Toronto Maple Leafs are hoping to get back to theirs and retake the series lead when they host the Panthers for Game 5 on Wednesday.
Just less than a week ago, the Maple Leafs arrived in South Florida up 2-0 in the best-of-seven series with two chances to put the defending champs on the brink of elimination. Instead, they return to Toronto with the series tied 2-2, having blown a two-goal lead in the second period of Game 3 before falling 5-4 in overtime, then dropping a 2-0 decision in Game 4 on Sunday.
The Maple Leafs will be looking for more from some of their top players, who have cooled off after strong starts to the postseason.
Captain Auston Matthews remains stuck without a score this series. Mitch Marner has only one shot on goal in the past three games after putting up four in the series opener. John Tavares, who opened the playoffs with five points in the first three games, has just two points — both goals against Florida in Game 3 — over the past six.
“Sometimes your top guys, they’re looking to get too good of a chance sometimes instead of just putting the puck on net,” Toronto coach Craig Berube said. “I think there’s times where we could put more pucks on net at angles, bad angles, just firing it in there with people going to the net. You never know, it goes off somebody, rebounds or anything like that.”
Joseph Woll will be in goal again with Anthony Stolarz still sidelined with an undisclosed injury sustained in Game 1. Woll was solid in facing 37 shots in the Game 4 loss, with 29 of those coming in the first two periods.
“I’ve had experience, I think the last couple years has certainly helped,” Woll said. “I’ve built the confidence that I know I’m capable in those situations.”
Stolarz was on the ice before practice on Tuesday and is progressing, but there is still no timeline for his return.
The Panthers, meanwhile, are coming off a Game 4 victory that showed the game that helped them reach the Stanley Cup Final each of the past two seasons and dispatch the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games in the previous round.
In shutting down Toronto, Florida was strong defensively and in goal, delivering hard hits and tightening their gaps — a change from the first three games, in which they allowed 13 goals.
“Such a dynamic team, Toronto, that if you don’t do enough work from the goal line to your red line, you put the defensemen in a very, very difficult position,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “I thought our forwards allowed the (defense) to play as well as the (defense) did.”
Sam Bennett has been clutch for Florida so far this spring. He leads the team with five goals, including the second tally in Sunday’s win, and is one of eight Panthers with eight points through nine games. He’s two goals shy of his playoff career high, set last season.
“We did a great job of showing our composure and we settled down at home,” Bennett said. “We played two much better games. It’s now a best-of-three. It can be a fun end of the series, for sure.”
–Field Level Media
