Florida Panthers v. Toronto Maple Leafs Series Preview | The Steve Dangle Podcast

Florida Panthers v. Toronto Maple Leafs Series Preview | The Steve Dangle Podcast

Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers. It’ll blow your mind to find out that the Leafs are not favored in this series. The Panthers are. Wow. Isn’t that crazy? Disrespect. Uh, as the Panthers always say, we want Toronto. I think they do always. They’re famous for saying it. Well, we’re going to punish you for your cockiness. You know, the Leafs actually got through the first round this year. Obviously a rare happening in Toronto, but one thing they cannot escape. Despite the fact that the Bruins fell off, you can’t escape Brad Marian. He is on the Panthers and you’re going to have to do it again. So frustating. So I Well, let’s start with I’m going to I’m going to I’m going to start on the way out. So So goending then defense then forwards. Okay. Sure. Anthony Stallers won a cup with the uh the the Florida Panthers last year and he was a huge part of the run. Huge part. is a good goalie also. Yes. Um Anthony Stallers, Sergey Babski, I think you have to give the edge to Babski as good as Stallers has been this year. Yeah. And I mean that’s that’s very fair. That’s very fair. Um I would still I’d be comfortable with Wool if it ended up being Wool for whatever reason. Um, but to say Sergey Babrosky’s backup is better than him the year after he won a cup is you’re going to have to take that away from him, right? Meteoric levels of cope. Um, you have to give the edge to the Panthers, unfortunately. Wall thing is a very weird storyline. I don’t understand it. I don’t know why anybody’s considering Joseph Wall for the starting net for the Leafs. No, no. I’m I’m just saying like if he were to falter, if he were to get injured, I’d be perfectly confident with Wool. Whereas if Babsky gets injured for the Panthers, it’s kind of a thing. Yes. But I think there’s been some narrative around people wanting Wool to have a start in this series in the in the Ottawa series along the line. People were talking about Wall getting in there. I didn’t get that. I don’t get that either. It’s very It’s Yes, it’s overthinking. I I do want to say that the last time that the Leafs and Pan Panthers squared off in the playoffs, Wool was the starter cuz Sammy got injured. Cuz Sammy got injured and he was good. And he was good. Uh he’s gotten better and the Leafs still have another guy ahead of him. Like it’s this isn’t the team that Florida played in 2023. Put it that way. Right. And and and it’s not even the team the Leafs took to the playoffs last year, but the Florida Panthers defense kind of sort of stays the same. And it’s mean. We’ll start with them. Forsling, who I just want to remind people, they got him on waivers. Waivers. So frustrating. Forsling, Seth Jones, Mikola Kulicov, uh Balinskus, and uh Nate Schmidt, who’s had a really good good first uh first round. And who’s missing? That would be Aaron Ecklad for game one because he’s suspended for just one game in this series. That’s an ugly defensive core. They smother they smothered Nikita Couter off two years in a row. I think what what gets lost with the Panthers is, yeah, they’re big. They’re mean. They do a lot of after whistle stuff. They’ll clock you. They’ll try to get away with stuff. They also, like you said, smother you. They skate you into the dirt. Forsling’s going to do that. Um Jones is not going to get tired. It’s just not in his nature. Nate Schmidt scored three goals. Like, we’re like, “Hey, Simone Benois, third pair. That’s hilarious.” Uh Nate Schmidt got that himself. He got uh the same amount of goals as the Leaf’s entire third pair because O had two as well. And we were like, isn’t that mindblowing? And the Panthers are like hoham. And he got, I think, three in the first two games last year. And a lot of these guys were around the year before. The Leafs took Joel Edmonson, Timothy Lilligrin, TJ Brody, who was on the downside, man. Ilia Labouchkin was not there two years ago, but you know, uh Luke Shen was. Uh so you know kind of climbing a similar this year it’s a lot different. It’s Riley Carlo who’ve been great together. It’s Tan of Mabe who’ve been great together and it’s Benoa Oel who as you said has three goals in the first round. Um don’t expect them to maybe get that. Oel knows this team really well. He was on it when they won. It’s going to be a collaborative effort. Oel Stallers and Lorent who are gonna have to and I mean obviously the Leafs video staff and whatever but if anyone’s going to be able to pick apart Paul Maurice and his systems and what he might be thinking in really specific moments, it’ll be those three guys who were with the Panthers last year. And Toronto’s defense, Jesse, is just so much better than it was. Is it going to be enough? Yeah, it’s it’s like miles better than any decor they’ve had in any recent memory. Like, forget last year. It’s been like two decades since they’ve had a good decor like they have this one. But for the Florida Panthers, it’s not for me, it’s not even about like the guys they have. It’s about the system they play. And I’m still taking Florida’s defense over Toronto’s defense. Even though like Toronto might have more marquee names, the names might be more familiar. But the way Paul Maurice has the D playing in Florida, I don’t think anybody’s competing with them. He talked specifically after the Tampa Bay series that the thing they do best is manage the gaps and they don’t they don’t really care about anything else is just eliminating the gaps in play, smothering the other team. And I think when they’re playing at their best, nobody’s as good as them. This series is going to be won and lost net front, I think, for both teams. And and in the forward groups, let’s let’s talk about Florida here again. Uh, Verhaggy, former Leaf, Barkov, Reinhardt. Verggy, by the way, Barkov and Reinhardt were just nominated for the Selki together. Line mates. Crazy. Psychotic. Evan Rodriguez, Sam Bennett, Matthew Kachchuck. Uh, Luc Rinan, Lendell Marshand. Oh my god. Lster Rinan and Lendell is one of the most underrated duos in the entire league. And you add Brad Marshand to it. Screw you. And then AJ Greer, Nico Sturm, who’s been great for them, and Yesper Boquist as well. That’s a very formidable top 12. Now we know the Leafs top 12 too, right? We got N Matthews Mner, Patch Ready, Tvaris, Nelander, McMahon, Holberg, Doi, Lorent Lton, Yarncroak. Now Matt N played his first hockey with the Leafs uh uh as a part of that 2023 run where the Leafs did play the Florida Panthers and until Sam Bennett literally headshotted him. Like there’s there’s just no other slammed his head into the ice. uh like he was a very effective player against these guys. He’s also now two years better. Yeah, that third line was was kind of the straw that stirred the drink that year. That was that was N. That was Ryan O’Reilly and that was Nolari. He is a force in this league. I don’t think Leaf fans in their wildest dreams could have hoped for a player to develop like this. um he’s going to be a factor and and he’s part of the reason why they’re just a tougher team to push around. Like the the Dcore is is big. It’s formidable, but the Leafs kind of have toughness throughout the lineup instead of oh, we have one or two guys that’ll consider throwing a punch, right? That’s that’s the big difference from two years ago. Uh guys like Keroot, uh guys like uh this is funny. It’s kind of Keroot who scored an OT winner that year. Nola Charar, Zack Aston Ree, Mark Girardano, Michael Bunting, Sam Laferty, all members of that Leafs team. Do you guys think that this Leafs team matches up better to this Florida team than the Leafs team in 2023, which was pretty much pounded out of the realm? A million%. A million%. The The only difference I would say is Florida got better, too. So, who do you give the edge to on the forward side? Um h ah you I mean it’s it’s coped to not say Florida like I don’t think Florida has a huge advantage in any given area but I would say they have the advantage in every area. Jesse you agree with that? Yeah, I would trust the top end talent of the Florida Panthers and even like the middle six talent to show up and finish their chances more than the Leafs based on what we’ve seen so far in these playoffs and based on the recent memory of the Leafs. Like I trust Matthew Kachchuck and Bennett and Reiner, sorry, not Bennett and Reinhardt to to finish their opportunities more than I trust Matthews and Marner to do it. So what do the Leafs need to do? Because it’s obvious what the what the Panthers are going to do. What do they what do the Leafs need to do to not get steamrolled like Tampa? How do they win this series? Well, uh they gotta they gotta hit back, but they also can’t get distracted by the sideshow. Florida did not beat Tampa because they were bigger or meaner. They have the horses and I think the the Panthers are almost disrespected um in that way. Like they’re bullying their way to all these goals. They’re bullying their way to series wins. They’re extremely talented. Like Lindell and Lustster and like those guys aren’t bullies. They’re just extremely good at hockey. Matthew Kachchuck, if you get too distracted by the antics, is extremely good at hockey. Barov, he’s been the most underrated player in the league for seven or eight years, which is a complete that’s not how you use the word underrated, but anyway. Sam Reinhardt, Carter Haggy, like they’re they’re a really fast rush team. And I think if the Leafs have any chance of beating Florida, they’ve got to take every opportunity to slow the game down. Like watching six games of Leafs Ottawa and then turning on almost any other series in the league in the first round, it’s like someone sped up my television, right? Um Dallas, Colorado, you go, “Holy crap.” There’s just a a level to this. If the Leafs can slow the game down, unlike a couple years ago, that’ll actually be a good thing. Jesse, I honestly think the Leafs will be in this series from start to the finish. Like, might have games that go here or there, but I think it’s going to be a long series because of what you’re talking about. And the playoff hockey that Craig Ruay tried to instill from game one of the regular season to now the second round, they’ve been very successful at it. They’ve been very successful at playing low event hockey in lowscoring games and close games. They deliberately want to win goals by a goal or two because they’ll just get a lead and sit on it and be comfy with that knowing that they’re not going to make a couple mistakes that’ll lead to goals for the other end. So, I think the series is going to be very competitive just with the way the Leafs play hockey nowadays. It’s not anything we’ve seen of any of the Leafs teams in recent memory. They were a high event playoff team when they played the Panthers last. Sheldon Keefe is a complete different coach than Craig Buru and the style of hockey will lend itself more to a series against Florida. The style of hockey they’re playing. Okay. Leafs did a really good job taking away all Mark’s eyes. They have to do the same to Bob. Yeah. Go to the net, which is something they were not doing enough of in the la in that last series. So, I will give you mine because I refuse to bet against the Toronto Maple Leafs. So I am saying Leafs in seven and I think it’s going to be an overtime and then I think and I think Brad Marshian’s going to give up the puck that ultimately leads to Matthew Nice because he got that injury last time scoring. That’s that’s the that’s what I’ve drawn up in my head. That’s what I’m putting out to the universe. It’s going to be a long series. It’s going to be a mean series. I think the Leafs win as the underdog because they haven’t done that in the Matthews Martin Elander era. No, not ever won as an underdog which is crazy. Or won the second round. Uh Stephen Jesse, who wants to take this next? What’s your prediction? We can save Steve for for last. Um, but we’re verging on the territory of the Florida Panthers being one of the most disrespected Stanley Cup champions ever. Dynasty based on No, I’m like I think they’ve been disrespected through these last two seasons in that like nobody’s given them that championship pedigree of be like, “Hey, everybody’s got to beat this team.” Like looking at how we all thought about how that Tampa series would go and how we believe that Tampa, oh look how well they’re playing and Florida’s they’re struggling down the stretch. Florida doesn’t care about the regular season. They get into the playoffs and they start playing. That much is clear. Florida Panthers hockey. It’s been that way for two years and two years plus now another playoff round. So until somebody beats Florida, I refuse to ever pick against them again cuz they’re the champs and I think somebody’s got to beat them to convince me. So, I’m going to pick Florida in seven. I am dancing between Listen, we’re all three Leaf fans here. I have the Leafs going to the Cup final in my bracket. I also have Colorado. Um, here’s the deal. I thought the Leafs were going to be playing the Lightning and the Leafs match up really well against them. The Leafs have struggled mightily against the Panthers. Now, here’s the difference. The Leafs also struggled against the Senators in the regular season badly, and the Leafs came out flying in that series. Jesse’s right. The Panthers have been disrespected. Marshand game seven. I feel like we’ve been meant to do this forever. I’m not excited to say this. Panthers in seven. No. Come on, boys. Where’s the passion? I thought about saying six. I thought about saying six, gentlemen. You’re You’re King Leafs. How dare you? How dare you? The last two Leafs playoff series correct outcome and game. I said Bruins in seven. It was Bruins in seven. I said Leafs in six. It was Leafs in six. I hate it. I hate it. Yo, me too. But you know what? There’s there’s always a chance. They got to play the games. That’s why they play the games. That’s why they play the game. Nobody’s saying the Leafs don’t have a chance. Now, it’s worth mentioning that we have a if you if you missed out on our first bracket, you can join our Spark second bracket challenge. You can build if you think that you can build a better 2025 NHL playoff bracket than Steve, Jesse, or I, you can make your selections now and start in the second round. And by the way, if you didn’t, you’re not just going to join the main bracket and have to go up against people that correctly picked in the first round. This is fresh. This is just for the second round. And you can sign up now. It’s actually link is in the description and we encourage you to sign up. Over 8600 people signed up for the STP bracket for the entire playoffs. This is just the second round and if you signed up for one, you can sign up for the other as well. Why not? You know more information. Why not, right? Check it out.

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Steve Dangle, Adam Wylde, and Jesse Blake preview the upcoming 1st round matchup between the Florida Panthers vs the Toronto Maple Leafs

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