The Toronto Maple Leafs took on the Florida Panthers in Game 2 of their second-round series and things picked back up where they left off. In Game 1, the Maple Leafs were fast on the rush and took advantage of the Panthers giving them space. In Game 2, they did it again—three of their goals last night came off the rush, which led to them stealing Game 2 and taking a 2-0 series lead as it heads back to Florida.
Now, let’s get into some key takeaways from last night’s game.
Pacioretty Signing is Paying Off
When Max Pacioretty was signed by the Maple Leafs after the pre-season, many members of Leafs Nation felt that it was some sort of curse buster. He was going to wear #67 and play for Toronto, who hasn’t won since 1967. After the season started, fans jumped on board with his play—he was physical and added another scorer to the lineup. However, it wasn’t until he was put on a line alongside John Tavares and William Nylander that he really started to show his worth. Unfortunately, he was injured and missed a portion of the season, which led to speculation that he may have played his last game with the organization.
That was until Game 3 of Round 1 of the playoffs, when he was inserted into the lineup and the payoff was almost instantaneous. Once he was moved back to that line alongside Tavares and Nylander, he quickly became one of the most valuable members of the team. His ability to get in on the forecheck and disrupt things to create scoring chances has been exactly what the Maple Leafs needed on their second line. Not only does he have a three-game point streak, he also has two goals and four assists for six points and is fifth on the team in playoff points.
Woll Played Excellent, Again
When Joseph Woll came into the game during the second period of Game 1, things didn’t look the best. He struggled a bit when he came in cold, but over the course of the game, he got more and more comfortable and played better. Last night, he was vintage Woll, and at times in the game, he stole the show. As the game went on, he seemed to relax more, which led to him making some great saves later in the third period and saved the game for the Maple Leafs.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone—a very similar situation happened last year in the 2024 NHL playoffs. Ilya Samsonov got injured and Woll came into the game and ended up dragging the Maple Leafs back into the series. Flash forward a year later, and he is doing the same thing. The only difference is, they don’t need to be dragged into the series because they have a 2-0 series lead. Now the question is, if Anthony Stolarz were to come back in this series and be healthy, who should the Maple Leafs start? To me, the answer would be to ride the hot hand, which at this point would be Woll until he struggles, then switch it up.
Nylander is an Elite Playoff Performer
Everyone knows that Nylander has been a very good playoff performer, but after this playoff run, he has moved into the category of elite. He has been the best player on the ice for a number of games this playoffs and it shows. He has six goals, seven assists for 13 points in eight games. In his career, he has 55 points in 61 career playoff games.
With the Maple Leafs looking to continue their playoff run, they will need Nylander to continue to step up and be a difference-maker if they want to keep winning games. Nylander is currently tied with Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid for the league lead in points in the playoffs with 13. If he continues on his pace, he could hit the 30–35-point mark if the Maple Leafs were to advance all the way to the Stanley Cup Final, which would be Conn Smythe Trophy winner numbers.
