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Panthers’ Brad Marchand doesn’t feel Maple Leafs should be ‘crucified’ for second-round playoff exit
Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand.
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Jeremy Tingly
May 19, 2025, 09:00 EDTUpdated: May 19, 2025, 08:57 EDT
It doesn’t matter if he’s playing in the sunshine state, or the shores of Massachusetts, Brad Marchand owns the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Florida Panthers forward made NHL history with the Game 7 victory against the Maple Leafs, as Marchand improved to 5-0 all-time in winner-take-all games against the franchise, setting a new NHL record. And, while this result feels all too familiar for the Maple Leafs, and Leafs Nation, Marchand stated after the win, this Maple Leafs team is very different than year’s past.
“I think if you look at the heat this team catches, it’s actually really unfortunate. They’ve been working at building something really big here for awhile, and they were a different brand of hockey this year, and they’re getting crucified, and I don’t think it’s justified just because they weren’t able to do it. We’re a really good and deep team too, and that’s how things go sometimes.”
While Marchand had himself quite the Game 7 in Toronto Sunday night with a goal and two assists, he was quick to point out after the game, while the team results have been there against the Maple Leafs, he hasn’t always played a major role in the elimination game.
“If you look at the past, I really haven’t played that well in Game 7’s against Toronto. No one play wins any series. I just happen to be part of good teams that have had the upper hand. But, if you actually historically look at the games, I didn’t play well, it wasn’t me that beat them, it was our teams. Our teams have always been really deep, and good.”
The Panthers absolutely came up at a different pace than the Maple Leafs. For the first ten minutes of the game, Florida had Toronto on their heels, and even when the Maple Leafs finally built some momentum later in the period, Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky came up big when he needed too, keeping Toronto at bay.
“Early on, we had a lot of really good pressure, we were playing very tight. With their speed and skill, we had to be above them. We did a really good job at reloading, D were very quick at closing with pucks coming around the wall, and they were able to transition very well. They weren’t able to get a whole lot going, besides a couple of breakaways early, obviously, and ‘Bob’ closed the door.”
Marchand and the Panthers now faceoff against the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final. Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs prepare to clean out their lockers and answer the same questions they’ve been answering for almost a decade. While Marchand felt this year’s Maple Leafs’ team was different, the feeling of disappointment is all too familiar.