2025 Stanley Cup Playoff Preview: Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Florida Panthers

Here we go again…

A round one victory for Toronto has turned out to be a bit of a poisoned chalice. They've managed to advance only twice in the past twenty seasons, and both times they have been met with this powerful Florida Panthers squad. While fans, already humbled slightly by the unexpectedly narrow series win over the Ottawa Senators, are feeling pretty pessimistic about the team's chances against the defending champions, for the organization itself this match-up offers the chance of proof-of-concept. Since the 2023 defeat, this roster has been remade specifically to address the perceived short-comings, especially on defence and in net, revealed by the Panthers. A win here, aside from maximizing what may be the final year of the "Core Four" era, would vindicate the shift towards size