<p>For the first time since 1987, the <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/combinations">Toronto Maple Leafs</a> have taken a 2-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference semi-finals with a 4-3 win over the Florida Panthers.</p>
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<p>After being subject to watching a Leafs team prone to outshooting their opponents and finally scoring a game-tying or a go-ahead goal only to give it back seconds later, it feels like somewhat of a fever dream watching this team be on the other end of moments like that. It happened in the game the Leafs clinched a first-round victory, with Max Pacioretty scoring the game-winner minutes after the Senators tied it in the third period, it happened in Game 1 of this series, and it happened again tonight.</p>
<p>After the Panthers tied the game a little over five minutes into the third period, new dad Mitch Marner stole the lead right back after doing what&#8217;s helped them win more playoff games than anything else – throwing the puck on net.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="und" dir="ltr">BDE. <a href="https://t.co/rhvZ5xN2VO">pic.twitter.com/rhvZ5xN2VO</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) <a href="https://twitter.com/MapleLeafs/status/1920287495364698511?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>There was a dark cloud over the Leafs&#8217; net coming out of Game 1 with the Anthony Stolarz injury, but <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/toronto-maple-leafs-good-hands-turn-joseph-woll-florida-panthers">Joseph Woll proved</a> once again that he&#8217;s capable of showing up when the lights are bright. He excelled in the second round against the Panthers two years ago and he excelled in a small sample size against the Boston Bruins last season. Tonight, with a full day to prepare for a start and a full game to play, he tightened up when the team needed him to and stood tall for the victory.</p>
<p>We are witnessing an unforeseen version of this Leafs team that hasn&#8217;t been there in the Matthews era. They don&#8217;t get rattled when a bad bounce goes against them, in fact, they seem to take it as motivation to get it right back. It was hard to imagine at the time that the Leafs&#8217; playoff woes were a coaching change away from being solved, and they still aren&#8217;t until they get out of the second round. But to show up the way they did and take both games at home against a star-studded, physical Panthers team is unlike anything this franchise has iced in the postseason.</p>
<p>It seems like, for the first time in a long time, this team knows how good they are and what they&#8217;re capable of doing in the playoffs. That kind of confidence goes a long way, and if they keep getting production from all areas of the game, they have all the ability to take this series from the Panthers and make their long-awaited return to the Conference Final.</p>
<p><strong>Sponsored by bet365</strong></p>
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For the first time since 1987, the <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/combinations">Toronto Maple Leafs</a> have taken a 2-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference semi-finals with a 4-3 win over the Florida Panthers.
<div class="bam-inline-promotion-block" data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324"></div>
After being subject to watching a Leafs team prone to outshooting their opponents and finally scoring a game-tying or a go-ahead goal only to give it back seconds later, it feels like somewhat of a fever dream watching this team be on the other end of moments like that. It happened in the game the Leafs clinched a first-round victory, with Max Pacioretty scoring the game-winner minutes after the Senators tied it in the third period, it happened in Game 1 of this series, and it happened again tonight.

After the Panthers tied the game a little over five minutes into the third period, new dad Mitch Marner stole the lead right back after doing what's helped them win more playoff games than anything else – throwing the puck on net.

https://twitter.com/MapleLeafs/status/1920287495364698511

There was a dark cloud over the Leafs' net coming out of Game 1 with the Anthony Stolarz injury, but <a href="https://theleafsnation.com/news/toronto-maple-leafs-good-hands-turn-joseph-woll-florida-panthers">Joseph Woll proved</a> once again that he's capable of showing up when the lights are bright. He excelled in the second round against the Panthers two years ago and he excelled in a small sample size against the Boston Bruins last season. Tonight, with a full day to prepare for a start and a full game to play, he tightened up when the team needed him to and stood tall for the victory.

We are witnessing an unforeseen version of this Leafs team that hasn't been there in the Matthews era. They don't get rattled when a bad bounce goes against them, in fact, they seem to take it as motivation to get it right back. It was hard to imagine at the time that the Leafs' playoff woes were a coaching change away from being solved, and they still aren't until they get out of the second round. But to show up the way they did and take both games at home against a star-studded, physical Panthers team is unlike anything this franchise has iced in the postseason.

It seems like, for the first time in a long time, this team knows how good they are and what they're capable of doing in the playoffs. That kind of confidence goes a long way, and if they keep getting production from all areas of the game, they have all the ability to take this series from the Panthers and make their long-awaited return to the Conference Final.

<strong>Sponsored by bet365</strong>
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