By the Numbers: Leafs, Panthers meet in second-round showdown
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After winning a playoff series for the first time in 19 years, the Toronto Maple Leafs carry plenty of momentum into their second-round series against the Florida Panthers.
The Panthers also come into the second round riding high, having upset the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round. Florida overcame a 3-1 series deficit to eliminate the Bruins, who set records for wins (65) and points (135) in a regular season.
The Leafs (50-21-11) won the season series 3-1, including both road games at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise. While the Panthers (42-32-8) dropped three of the four games, the series was much closer than the record would indicate, as three of the games went to overtime.
Leafs-Panthers Head-to-Head matchups in 2022-23
| Date | Home | Away | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 17 | Toronto Maple Leafs | Florida Panthers | 5-4 (OT) |
| Mar. 23 | Florida Panthers | Toronto Maple Leafs | 6-2 |
| Mar. 29 | Toronto Maple Leafs | Florida Panthers | 3-2 (OT) |
| Apr. 10 | Florida Panthers | Toronto Maple Leafs | 2-1 (OT) |
The Leafs’ top forwards played well against the Panthers this season, with Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and John Tavares averaging more than a point per game.
Leafs Top Point Scorers vs. Panthers in 2022-23
| Player | Goals | Assists | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mitch Marner | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Auston Matthews | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| William Nylander | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| John Tavares | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| Morgan Rielly* | 0 | 2 | 2 |
*Rielly missed one game due to injury
The Leafs scored 23 goals in the six-game series win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, with Mitch Marner leading the way with 11 points. Auston Matthews led the team with five goals.
"They have some really elite players that can make plays, and they play the right way," Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe said. "They're a different team than they have been in years past, and it's going to be a good challenge for us."
Ilya Samsonov started two games against the Panthers in the regular season, going 1-0-1 with a 1.44 goals-against average and .953 save percentage. He played in relief of Matt Murray when the teams met on Jan. 17, stopping all 11 shots in a comeback overtime victory.
The Panthers’ goaltending duo split the four games against the Leafs. Alex Lyon was in net for the only win against Toronto on Mar. 29 when he stopped 38 of 40 shots in the overtime win. He had a 1.92 goals-against average and a .938 save percentage in two games. Sergei Bobrovsky did not fare as well against the Leafs this season, going 0-2-0 with a 4.99 GAA and .841 save percentage. Bobrovsky stopped 33 of 36 shots in the Panthers' Game 7 overtime win over the Bruins on Sunday.
Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk recorded 40 goals and 109 points in the regular season and led the Panthers with five goals and 11 points in the first round. However, the Leafs were able to hold him to just one goal in their four matchups. Defenceman Brandon Montour led the Panthers this season with two goals and three assists in four games against the Leafs.
Panthers Top Scorers vs. Leafs in 2022-23
| Player | Goals | Assists | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Montour | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Aleksander Barkov | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Carter Verhaeghe | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Sam Reinhart | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Matthew Tkachuk | 1 | 0 | 1 |
The series begins on Tuesday at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. The Leafs are looking to make it to the Conference Final for the first time since 2001-02 while the Panthers look to make it past the second round for just the second time in franchise history and first since making the Stanley Cup Final in 1995-96. The teams have never played each other in the playoffs.
"We'll enjoy this, but obviously it's just step one on our journey," Matthews said after eliminating the Lightning. "It only gets harder from here."