The Florida Panthers shut out the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 4 and for the first time in the now-tied second-round series between the Eastern Conference franchises.
Even though Toronto has now lost back-to-back games to Florida, Maple Leafs star winger Mitch Marner had high praise for a longtime rival.
Marner played alongside Brad Marchand at the 4 Nations Face-Off earlier this year and won the international trophy with Canada.
The Leafs forward didn’t shy away from complimenting the veteran Panthers winger following Sunday’s loss, issuing a rather surprising comment amid Toronto's ongoing skid.
Mitch Marner on 4 Nations 🇨🇦 'mate Brad Marchand:
"He’s a great teammate, great guy. I’m sure a lot of people probably opposite playing against him & everything like that. He’s a fiery competitor & that’s something you want on your team"https://t.co/OzU8MXu6AJ— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) May 11, 2025
“He’s a great teammate, great guy,” Marner said. “I’m sure a lot of people probably (think the) opposite, playing against him and everything like that.
”He’s a fiery competitor, and that’s something you want on your team.”
Marchand wasn't on a collision course against the Maple Leafs before the Panthers acquired him from the Boston Bruins at the trade deadline, but the 37-year-old has now made an impact in the series.
Although Marchand failed to notch a point in the most recent Panthers win, he tallied points in the first three matches of the series.
Marchand assisted two goalies in Game 1, then scored one apiece in Games 2 and 3 to make it four points through four games played against the Leafs.
Marner, meanwhile, has four points against Florida, albeit split into one goal and three assists, also failing to score a single tally in Game 4.
Throughout the playoffs, Marner and Marchand have scored 12 and eight total points, respectively, although Marner has appeared in one more game than his older foe as the Leafs played a six-game first-round series against the Panthers' five-game one.
Game 5 between the Leafs and the Panthers is set for Wednesday at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, with puck drop set at 7:00 p.m. ET in what is now a best-of-three series.
