GAMEDAY: Maple Leafs welcome Panthers for Atlantic clash

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Published Apr 02, 2025 • Last updated 0 minutes ago • 2 minute read

Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky of the Florida Panthers stops a shot by Alexander Nylander #92 of the Toronto Maple Leafs earlier this season. Photo by Joel Auerbach /Getty Images

FLORIDA PANTHERS (44-26-3) at TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (45-25-4)

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When: Wednesday, 7:30 p.m., Scotiabank Arena

TV: Sportsnet Radio: The Fan 590

Odds: Panthers -102, Maple Leafs -122

The buzz

It’s not a must-win for the Maple Leafs, but we don’t have to say how badly they want to beat the Panthers for the first time in three meetings this season — the Leafs would clinch a playoff spot for the ninth year in a row with a victory … The Leafs, who had a short practice on Tuesday as they returned to the ice after travelling home from California on Monday, should be primed to take advantage of a Panthers team that played in Montreal against the Canadiens on Tuesday night and lost in overtime … The Panthers outscored Toronto 8-3 in the two earlier meetings. The clubs will clash again in Sunrise on April 8 … Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky was sitting one game shy of 750 in his NHL career going into Tuesday. He’s in line to start against the Leafs after Vitek Vanecek got the nod in Montreal. Versus the Leafs in his career, Bobrovsky is 15-8-1 with a .907 save percentage … Anthony Stolarz is the likely starter in net for the Leafs. He was in net for both losses against Florida this season … The Panthers won’t have key defenceman Aaron Ekblad, who continues to serve a 20-game suspension for violating the terms of the NHL/NHLPA performance-enhancing substances program … The Panthers, going into Tuesday, had won just two games when trailing after two periods. The Leafs and Vegas Golden Knights had eight wins in that situation, tied for most in the NHL.

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The news

Tuesday was not a positive work day for Leafs winger Nick Robertson, who practised as an extra forward, an indication he will be scratched for the third game in a row … Forward Max Pacioretty and defenceman Jani Hakanpaa were participants in practice. “It’s good that they’re out there and they’ve been working with our development crew and people back here skating and trying to get healthy,” Leafs coach Craig Berube said, “so hopefully they can get healthy and be part of the team at some point.”

The quote

“Dialling in our special teams. Making sure we win that battle and doing the simple and ugly things that are going to win a hockey game — taking hits, making plays, getting it out of our zone, being good on the lines.”

— Leafs winger Matthew Knies on what Toronto has to do to beat Florida