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Despite earning two power plays to the Panthers’ one, the visitors got doubled or tripled up in every major offensive metric.
The Cats generated more shots (37-18), scoring chances (32-11), and high-danger chances (12-4).
All four Leafs lines spent more time in the defensive zone than the offensive one, and still, the team that owned the puck outhit the Leafs 43-29.
“They wanted it more than us. It starts in a faceoff circle. They’re 70 per cent tonight.
To me, it just comes down to competitiveness and digging in more.
They seemed like a more desperate team than us,” Craig Berube said.
The coach had watched a pressured Morgan Rielly cough up the deciding goal from behind his net to an opportunistic Eetu Luostarinen.
He had hollered on the bench when Nick Robertson committed a neutral-zone turnover that gifted Brad Marchand a shorthanded breakaway.
And he bore witness to the same Florida formula that neutered the Maple Leafs’ firepower in 2023 controlled playoff series victory.
The tax-free state plays a taxing brand of hockey.
“You’re going to have to get in there and win battles against this team, that’s for sure.
We spent too much time defending, not enough time in the offensive zone tonight.
Second period wasn’t bad, but we didn’t generate a lot because they won all the battles in the offensive zone,” Berube said.
