The Maple Leafs are set to face the Florida Panthers in the second round of the playoffs, this time as the underdog. Two years ago, Toronto lost to Florida after being physically outmatched, leaving scars on the organization. Key moments from their previous series included aggressive plays and confrontations that went unanswered by the Leafs. Following their defeat, the Leafs replaced their general manager and focused on adding players to increase their physical presence. New signings reflect this strategic shift, emphasizing a need for greater toughness in order to prevail against the Panthers this time around.
"They were more physical than us. They kind of grabbed control of the series that way, which we need to respond to a little better than we did with it. It was definitely a factor for them that helped them beat us." - Ryan O'Reilly on the Leafs' loss to the Panthers in 2023
The closing sequence of Game 4 included Brandon Montour running Morgan Rielly, Bennett punching Jake McCabe in the face at the bottom of a scrum, and Matthew Tkachuk throwing multiple jabs at Mitch Marner.
Last summer, the Leafs said goodbye to Kyle Dubas and welcomed Brad Treliving, who emphasized adding physicality by signing Max Domi, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Ryan Reaves.
Florida's upset of the record-setting Boston Bruins two years ago and their dominance over the Leafs in the second-round series left a lingering impact on Toronto's organization.
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