TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS NOTES:
2023 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE, ROUND 2 vs. FLORIDA PANTHERS
Game 1 – Tuesday, May 2nd – 7:00 pm ET – Sportsnet (TV), TSN 1050 (Radio) – 2-4 L
Game 2 – Thursday, May 4th – 7:00 pm ET – Sportsnet (TV), CityNews 680 (Radio) – 2-3 L
Game 3 – Sunday, May 7th – 6:30 pm ET – Sportsnet (TV), Sportsnet 590 (Radio)
Game 4 – Wednesday, May 10th – 7 pm ET – Sportsnet (TV), TSN 1050 (Radio)
Game 5 – Friday, May 12th – TBD – Sportsnet (TV), TSN 1050 (Radio)*
Game 6 – Sunday, May 14th – TBD – Sportsnet (TV), Sportsnet 590 (Radio)*
Game 7 – Tuesday, May 16th – TBD – Sportsnet (TV), TSN 1050 (Radio)*
*If Necessary
THE SERIES
The Maple Leafs advanced to the Second Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a Game 6 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday, April 29th. Toronto will take on the Florida Panthers in the Second Round marking the first postseason meeting between the clubs. The Maple Leafs posted a 3-0-1 record against the Florida Panthers during the 2022-23 regular season with a 1-0-1 record at Scotiabank Arena. Three of four regular season games against Florida this season were decided in overtime. Mitch Marner led the team with six points (1G, 5A) in four games this season against the Panthers. Auston Matthews led the team in goals with five through four games. Ilya Samsonov posted a 2-0-1 record with a 1.45 goals-against average through three games against Florida this season.
LAST GAME
Score: Toronto 2 vs. Florida 3
Date: Thursday, May 4, 2023
TOR Goals: Kerfoot, O’Reilly (PP)
FLA Goals: Lundell, Barkov, Forsling
TOR Goaltender: Samsonov, 26/29, .897 SV%
FLA Goaltender: Bobrovsky, 35/37, .946 SV%
TOR Power Play: 1-for-3
TOR Penalty Kill: 1-for-1
Player Notes:
- Alexander Kerfoot scored for Toronto at 2:20 of the first period. Kerfoot recorded his second goal of the playoffs.
- Ryan O’Reilly scored on a Maple Leafs power play opportunity at 5:10 of the first period. O’Reilly has recorded a point in back-to-back games (1G, 1A). O’Reilly scored the ninth power play goal of his Stanley Cup playoff career.
- Morgan Rielly registered the secondary assist on Kerfoot’s goal. Rielly extended his point streak to seven games where he has posted 10 points (3G, 7A). With a seven-game point streak, “Rielly surpassed Brian Leetch (6 GP in 2004) for sole possession of the longest postseason run by a Maple Leafs defenseman,” per NHL Stats. With his assist, “Rielly joined Tim Horton (7 GP in 1962) and Ian Turnbull (8 GP in 1978) as the only defensemen in Maple Leafs history to register his 10th point of a postseason in eight games or fewer,” per NHL Stats.
- Mitch Marner posted the primary assist on O’Reilly’s goal. Marner recorded his 10th assist of the playoffs. Per NHL Stats, “Only two Maple Leafs skaters have hit the 10-assist mark in a postseason in fewer games than eight: Darryl Sittler (6 GP in 1977) and Gary Leeman (7 GP in
1986).” - Auston Matthews registered the secondary assist on O’Reilly’s goal. Matthews extended his point streak to eight games where he has recorded 11 points (5G, 6A). Per NHL Stats, “Matthews tied the longest postseason run in Maple Leafs history. Gary Roberts (8 GP in 2002), Doug Gilmour (8 GP in 1993) and Gary Leeman (8 GP in 1986) also share the franchise mark.”
Team Notes:
- Game 2 Record in best-of-seven series: 42-38-1 overall, 19-11-1 at home.
- The Maple Leafs registered 37 shots in Game 2 against Florida, tying the club’s single-game high of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs (marked on three occasions).
INJURY REPORT
Matthew Knies Concussion (Day-to-Day)
Bobby McMann Knee (LTIR)
Victor Mete Lower Body (LTIR)
Jake Muzzin Neck (LTIR)
Nick Robertson Shoulder (LTIR)
FLORIDA PANTHERS NOTES:
BAPTIST HEALTH INJURY REPORT
- F Patric Hornqvist | Games Missed: 9
- F Ryan Lomberg | Games Missed: 5
Total Playoff Man Games Lost Due to Injury: 17
Total Regular Season Man Games Lost Due to Injury: 239
LAST GAME
Panthers 3, Maple Leafs 2 – May 4 – Scotiabank Arena
FLA Goals: Lundell (2), Barkov (2), Forsling (2)
TOR Goals: Kerfoot (2), O’Reilly (3-PPG)
FLA Goalie: Bobrovsky (W) – 35 Saves
TOR Goalie: Samsonov (L) – 26 Saves
FLA Shots: 29
TOR Shots: 37
Notes: The Panthers won their fifth consecutive playoff game, establishing a new franchise record…The win also marked Florida’s fifth consecutive road playoff win, also a club record…Anton Lundell produced two points (1-1-2), his third multi-point game of the Playoffs…Matthew Tkachuk notched an assist to extend his assist/point streak to six games…Tkachuk’s assist streak is now the longest playoff assist streak in franchise history, and one game shy of Dave Lowry’s seven-game point streak in 1996 for the longest in club history…Aleksander Barkov tallied a goal to extend his point streak to five games (2-5-7)…Anthony Duclair produced an assist for the second consecutive game…Florida overcame a multi-goal deficit to win a playoff game for the fourth time in club history…FLA PP: 0-1, FLA PK: 2-3
RECENT TRANSACTIONS:
- April 25: D Lucas Carlsson loaned to Charlotte (AHL)
PANTHERS vs. MAPLE LEAFS
ALL-TIME vs. TOR: 43-40-7-8
ALL-TIME ROAD vs. TOR: 18-23-2-4
2022-23 vs. TOR: 1-1-2
ROUND 1 – FLA (4) vs. BOS (3)
GAME 1 – FLA 1, BOS 3
GAME 2 – FLA 6, BOS 3
GAME 3 – BOS 4, FLA 2
GAME 4 – BOS 6, FLA 2
GAME 5 – FLA 4, BOS 3 [OT]
GAME 6 – BOS 5, FLA 7
GAME 7 – FLA 4, BOS 3 [OT]
ROUND 2 – FLA (2) vs. TOR (0)
GAME 1 – FLA 4, TOR 2
GAME 2 – FLA 3, TOR 2
PANTHERS PLAYOFF LEADERS
Goals: Montour (6)
Assists: Tkachuk (10)
Points: Tkachuk (15)
Shots: Montour (31)
Hits: Gudas (41)
MAKING THEIR MARK
FLORIDA PANTHERS ALL-TIME PLAYOFF LEADERS
GOALS ASSISTS POINTS
- Carter Verhaeghe | 11 1. Aleksander Barkov | 22 1. Aleksander Barkov | 30
T-2. Ray Sheppard | 10 2. Jonathan Huberdeau | 16 2. Carter Verhaeghe | 24
T-2. Dave Lowry | 10 3. Carter Verhaeghe | 13 3. Jonathan Huberdeau | 21
KEEP IT ROLLING
The Panthers have won each of their past five playoff games, surpassing the previous club record of four consecutive wins (May 9-18, 1996 vs. PHI & PIT). Additionally, the Cats have won each of their past five road playoff games dating back to Game 3 at BOS, the longest playoff road win streak in club history. Over the course of the win streak (April 26-May 4), the Cats scored a league-leading 22 goals averaging 4.40 goals per game and scoring at a 36.4% clip on the power play [4/11]. Over that span, five different Panthers have registered at least a point per game (Tkachuk [10], Verhaeghe [7], Barkov [7], Lundell [6] and Montour [6]). Following games played May 5, Florida led all teams in goals for (33) and five-on-five goals for (21).
CATS VS. LEAFS
The Panthers face off against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time. The Panthers earned points in three of their four meetings (1-1-2) with the Maple Leafs in 2022-23, with three of the four matchups ending in overtime. On March 29, Sam Reinhart scored a game-tying goal with a minute remaining in regulation to force overtime before Brandon Montour scored his second of two overtime goals during the season. Montour led the Panthers with five points (2-3-5) over the season series against Toronto, while Aleksander Barkov (1-3-4), Sam Reinhart (1-2-3) and Carter Verhaeghe (1-2-3) all posted at least three points.
ROUND 1 RECAP
The Panthers overcame a 3-1 series deficit and won the final three games of their Round 1 series against the Presidents’ Trophy winner Boston Bruins, including the final three games at TD Garden (two in overtime). The Cats finished the season with 43 fewer points than Boston, marking the second-largest regular-season point differential by a team in a series win after the Kings defeated the Oilers in 1982 Division Semifinals. The Panthers became the second team to overcome a 3-1 series deficit to defeat the Presidents’ Trophy winner in any round, following the Canadiens (2010 CQF vs. WSH), the eighth team to defeat the Presidents’ Trophy winner in the opening round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the third to do so via a Game 7 victory.
