<p>It should be remembered that the Toronto Maple Leafs&#8217; management group believed the pathway to a Stanley Cup was through <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/maple-leafs-stanley-cup-pursuit-incrementalism-push-forward-treliving">incrementalism, as opposed to radical disruption</a>, but changes were indeed necessary. Brad Treliving and Brendan Shanahan staked their reputations on the idea that Toronto&#8217;s Core Four were essential to the pursuit of a title, and there were only minor tweaks needed, as opposed to a seismic, league-altering trade.</p>
<div class="bam-inline-promotion-block" data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324"></div>
<p>And in some forms, Craig Berube may have represented the pendulum shift. The popular thinking suggested that Berube&#8217;s preferred style of play would translate well to the playoffs, a hypothesis that could only be truly tested in the early stages of summer. Berube, along with a series of incremental additions that have augmented the core group, are clearly embodying why there could be a party and parade to celebrate in a month.</p>
<p>Maybe we&#8217;re jumping the gun a bit, but it would be dishonest to dissuade any form of heightened enthusiasm, as Max Pacioretty is providing all the depth scoring the Leafs have asked for, Max Domi notched his second massive goal of the playoffs, William Nylander remains unfazed by the bright lights, while New Dad Mitch Marner — you have to make this title-case designation — scored arguably the biggest goal of his postseason career, <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/knee-jerk-reaction-toronto-maple-leafs-rapid-response-lead-panthers">to seal a 4-3 victory in Game 2 over the Florida Panthers</a>, in a series that could determine his popular reputation and future earnings alike.</p>
<p>Through the initial stages of Game 2, it appeared that it may have been a margin-of-error game. Florida suffocates teams and pounces on mistakes better than any club in the NHL and it may well be its defining characteristic. Aleksander Barkov was outplayed by Auston Matthews in Game 1, but he came roaring back, winning a faceoff on the power play, before ripping a shot past Joseph Woll for an early 1-0 Panthers lead. It&#8217;s the type of sequence that may have rattled previous Leafs teams, but in the most literal sense, these aren&#8217;t the Same Old Leafs. Pacioretty worked his way to the net-front and expertly deflected Morgan Rielly&#8217;s point shot to tie the game and stabilize his team, shooting it in the net twice for good measure.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Max Pacioretty ties things up 🍁</p>
<p>🎥: Sportsnet | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LeafsForever?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LeafsForever</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TimeToHunt?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TimeToHunt</a> <a href="https://t.co/cRMHlA33o3">pic.twitter.com/cRMHlA33o3</a></p>
<p>&mdash; TheLeafsNation (@TLNdc) <a href="https://twitter.com/TLNdc/status/1920264048433578081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s not to say we dominated the game by any means, but we had guys that were feeling good, and doing all the little things, all over the ice that sometimes you don&#8217;t get rewarded for,&#8221; Pacioretty said post-game. &#8220;But at the end of the day, if you stick with that process, good things tend to happen and things tend to work out.&#8221;</p>
<p>Berube&#8217;s decision to re-insert Pacioretty into the lineup ahead of Game 3 against the Ottawa Senators, in place of Nick Robertson, looks like a masterstroke. Pacioretty scored the series-clinching goal against the Senators in Game 6, registered two assists in Game 1, and responded with another two-point game. He also added a team-best seven hits and continued to disrupt the Panthers in all facets. Pacioretty earned every his spot onto the team, excelling on a professional tryout agreement at the start of camp, to become one of Berube&#8217;s favourites in the most critical postseason of the 21st century for the Leafs.</p>
<p>&#8220;I think it goes back with his injuries and effort, commitment he put back to getting healthy. It&#8217;s showing now in my opinion that he&#8217;s very dedicated in that aspect. He didn&#8217;t want to go out that way. He&#8217;s fought his way back. He&#8217;s doing a great job now for us in a lot of areas of the game, not just the scoring. He&#8217;s played a pivotal role with the physicality, and how we want to play, with a heavy style of game. He&#8217;s been a good fit.&#8221;</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Max Pacioretty ties things up 🍁</p>
<p>🎥: Sportsnet | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LeafsForever?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LeafsForever</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TimeToHunt?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TimeToHunt</a> <a href="https://t.co/cRMHlA33o3">pic.twitter.com/cRMHlA33o3</a></p>
<p>&mdash; TheLeafsNation (@TLNdc) <a href="https://twitter.com/TLNdc/status/1920264048433578081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>It extends beyond Pacioretty, of course, with his two primary linemates coming alive during the postseason as well. Nylander scored his sixth goal of the postseason and Berube instructed reporters to leave his unflappable star winger alone, post-game. Tavares is in the middle of a resurgent campaign, and he&#8217;s widely expected to re-up his pact with the Leafs this summer. It wasn&#8217;t a banner night for Auston Matthews, but Matthew Knies has emerged as the fifth member of the Core, and Marner scored the most timely goal of his career. It&#8217;s perhaps too early to write it in, but the incremental approach has won out against radical disruption as summer blossoms.</p>
<p>Anthony Stolarz, another crucial addition that isn&#8217;t beholden to the past, wasn&#8217;t available for Game 2, after getting hit in the head by Panthers antagonist Sam Bennett in Game 1. Joseph Woll wasn&#8217;t always at his best, but his calm, cerebral approach paid off and he made a massive save on Mackie Samoskevich in the third period, to preserve the 4-3 lead, once again proving he&#8217;s up to the task.</p>
<p>There are key additions everywhere for the eye to behold. Oliver Ekman-Larsson was a steadying force for the Leafs, both on and off the ice during the regular season, but he&#8217;s upped his game once again during the playoffs, notching a secondary assist on Nylander&#8217;s goal. Steven Lorentz, the most convivial player on the team, who isn&#8217;t known for his offence, burst into the rush to set up Domi&#8217;s critical marker. Chris Tanev, who has been Toronto&#8217;s best defenceman all year, blocked five shots and re-entered the game in the third period after labouring through a tough but fair hit from Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe. And while it was a polarizing game from Morgan Rielly, who has largely been at his best throughout the playoffs, trade deadline acquisition Brandon Carlo has allowed the Leafs&#8217; longest-tenured player to play to his strengths during this stretch run. These aren&#8217;t the Same Old Leafs, and their opponent knows it, too.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">running this back, but didn&#39;t expect the Leafs to be killing the Panthers in transition this series. Nylander and Domi have been particularly great tonight in this regard.</p>
<p>&mdash; Arun Srinivasan (@Arunthings) <a href="https://twitter.com/Arunthings/status/1920278580862312925?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>&#8220;It seemed like every time we gave them the opportunity to get above us, they created something or capitalized on it,&#8221; Panthers forward Brad Marchand said post-game. &#8220;It shows how dangerous they are. It doesn&#8217;t take much for them to score. We have to make sure we&#8217;re pretty much perfect on defensive coverage.&#8221;</p>
<p>Marchand is perhaps the authoritative figure when it comes to closing out the Maple Leafs, but even he seems fluxommed by this new-look group. It may be a different summer in Toronto, after all.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">For the first time in 21 years, the Leafs have won six games in a single postseason. What really struck me tonight was how many puck battles they won. A tenacious team right now.</p>
<p>&mdash; Matt Larkin (@MLarkinHockey) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLarkinHockey/status/1920294698645655920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>&#8220;It feels really good, but at the same time, we know they&#8217;re gonna come out even harder in Sunrise, so enjoy it now and get ready to really get to work,&#8221; Pacioretty said post game.</p>
<p>There are still 10 more wins to secure, but it&#8217;s tempting to believe this summer could be different, as these aren&#8217;t the Same Old Leafs. Pacioretty and the rest of the depth additions have rounded out a talented, imperfect core group that will get the majority of the headlines, and the combination of experience, resilience, determination and a new voice behind the bench are vital reasons why the Leafs hold a commanding lead over the defending champions entering the weekend.</p>
<h3>Sponsored by bet365</h3>
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It should be remembered that the Toronto Maple Leafs' management group believed the pathway to a Stanley Cup was through <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/maple-leafs-stanley-cup-pursuit-incrementalism-push-forward-treliving">incrementalism, as opposed to radical disruption</a>, but changes were indeed necessary. Brad Treliving and Brendan Shanahan staked their reputations on the idea that Toronto's Core Four were essential to the pursuit of a title, and there were only minor tweaks needed, as opposed to a seismic, league-altering trade.
<div class="bam-inline-promotion-block" data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324"></div>
And in some forms, Craig Berube may have represented the pendulum shift. The popular thinking suggested that Berube's preferred style of play would translate well to the playoffs, a hypothesis that could only be truly tested in the early stages of summer. Berube, along with a series of incremental additions that have augmented the core group, are clearly embodying why there could be a party and parade to celebrate in a month.

Maybe we're jumping the gun a bit, but it would be dishonest to dissuade any form of heightened enthusiasm, as Max Pacioretty is providing all the depth scoring the Leafs have asked for, Max Domi notched his second massive goal of the playoffs, William Nylander remains unfazed by the bright lights, while New Dad Mitch Marner — you have to make this title-case designation — scored arguably the biggest goal of his postseason career, <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/knee-jerk-reaction-toronto-maple-leafs-rapid-response-lead-panthers">to seal a 4-3 victory in Game 2 over the Florida Panthers</a>, in a series that could determine his popular reputation and future earnings alike.

Through the initial stages of Game 2, it appeared that it may have been a margin-of-error game. Florida suffocates teams and pounces on mistakes better than any club in the NHL and it may well be its defining characteristic. Aleksander Barkov was outplayed by Auston Matthews in Game 1, but he came roaring back, winning a faceoff on the power play, before ripping a shot past Joseph Woll for an early 1-0 Panthers lead. It's the type of sequence that may have rattled previous Leafs teams, but in the most literal sense, these aren't the Same Old Leafs. Pacioretty worked his way to the net-front and expertly deflected Morgan Rielly's point shot to tie the game and stabilize his team, shooting it in the net twice for good measure.

https://twitter.com/TLNdc/status/1920264048433578081

"It's not to say we dominated the game by any means, but we had guys that were feeling good, and doing all the little things, all over the ice that sometimes you don't get rewarded for," Pacioretty said post-game. "But at the end of the day, if you stick with that process, good things tend to happen and things tend to work out."

Berube's decision to re-insert Pacioretty into the lineup ahead of Game 3 against the Ottawa Senators, in place of Nick Robertson, looks like a masterstroke. Pacioretty scored the series-clinching goal against the Senators in Game 6, registered two assists in Game 1, and responded with another two-point game. He also added a team-best seven hits and continued to disrupt the Panthers in all facets. Pacioretty earned every his spot onto the team, excelling on a professional tryout agreement at the start of camp, to become one of Berube's favourites in the most critical postseason of the 21st century for the Leafs.

"I think it goes back with his injuries and effort, commitment he put back to getting healthy. It's showing now in my opinion that he's very dedicated in that aspect. He didn't want to go out that way. He's fought his way back. He's doing a great job now for us in a lot of areas of the game, not just the scoring. He's played a pivotal role with the physicality, and how we want to play, with a heavy style of game. He's been a good fit."

https://twitter.com/TLNdc/status/1920264048433578081

It extends beyond Pacioretty, of course, with his two primary linemates coming alive during the postseason as well. Nylander scored his sixth goal of the postseason and Berube instructed reporters to leave his unflappable star winger alone, post-game. Tavares is in the middle of a resurgent campaign, and he's widely expected to re-up his pact with the Leafs this summer. It wasn't a banner night for Auston Matthews, but Matthew Knies has emerged as the fifth member of the Core, and Marner scored the most timely goal of his career. It's perhaps too early to write it in, but the incremental approach has won out against radical disruption as summer blossoms.

Anthony Stolarz, another crucial addition that isn't beholden to the past, wasn't available for Game 2, after getting hit in the head by Panthers antagonist Sam Bennett in Game 1. Joseph Woll wasn't always at his best, but his calm, cerebral approach paid off and he made a massive save on Mackie Samoskevich in the third period, to preserve the 4-3 lead, once again proving he's up to the task.

There are key additions everywhere for the eye to behold. Oliver Ekman-Larsson was a steadying force for the Leafs, both on and off the ice during the regular season, but he's upped his game once again during the playoffs, notching a secondary assist on Nylander's goal. Steven Lorentz, the most convivial player on the team, who isn't known for his offence, burst into the rush to set up Domi's critical marker. Chris Tanev, who has been Toronto's best defenceman all year, blocked five shots and re-entered the game in the third period after labouring through a tough but fair hit from Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe. And while it was a polarizing game from Morgan Rielly, who has largely been at his best throughout the playoffs, trade deadline acquisition Brandon Carlo has allowed the Leafs' longest-tenured player to play to his strengths during this stretch run. These aren't the Same Old Leafs, and their opponent knows it, too.

https://twitter.com/Arunthings/status/1920278580862312925

"It seemed like every time we gave them the opportunity to get above us, they created something or capitalized on it," Panthers forward Brad Marchand said post-game. "It shows how dangerous they are. It doesn't take much for them to score. We have to make sure we're pretty much perfect on defensive coverage."

Marchand is perhaps the authoritative figure when it comes to closing out the Maple Leafs, but even he seems fluxommed by this new-look group. It may be a different summer in Toronto, after all.

https://twitter.com/MLarkinHockey/status/1920294698645655920

"It feels really good, but at the same time, we know they're gonna come out even harder in Sunrise, so enjoy it now and get ready to really get to work," Pacioretty said post game.

There are still 10 more wins to secure, but it's tempting to believe this summer could be different, as these aren't the Same Old Leafs. Pacioretty and the rest of the depth additions have rounded out a talented, imperfect core group that will get the majority of the headlines, and the combination of experience, resilience, determination and a new voice behind the bench are vital reasons why the Leafs hold a commanding lead over the defending champions entering the weekend.
<h3>Sponsored by bet365</h3>
<div class="bam-inline-promotion" data-property-id="324" data-promotion-id="18983" data-context="web-content-promocard"></div>

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