Failure to gain split in Florida increases pressure on Maple Leafs

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The pressure is on, Maple Leafs.

We’re rather intrigued to see how you handle it in Game 5 against the Florida Panthers.

Any time the Leafs have bumped up against adversity in coach Craig Berube’s first season behind the bench, they’ve come out the other side just fine. Finishing off the Ottawa Senators in six games in the first round after losing a couple in a row was the latest, and best, example.

The best-of-seven series with the Panthers, now tied 2-2 after Florida won 2-0 in Game 4 at Amerant Bank Arena on Sunday, is a different animal in every sense.

This is where the defending champion Panthers can use their Cup knowledge to their advantage. They won last year partly because in 2023, when they lost in the Cup final to Vegas, they experienced just about everything that the playoffs can bring.

The Leafs have nothing similar to fall back on.

The Panthers didn’t flinch in the face of a two-game deficit in this series and after winning Game 3 in overtime, they were the better team, start to finish, in Game 4.

Does anyone think the Panthers are ripe to falter on Wednesday night in Toronto? Didn’t think so.

Worrisome for Leafs Nation, too, is that Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky appears to have settled into a groove. He wasn’t besieged by the Leafs on Sunday, but made saves at crucial times. Joseph Woll was excellent for Toronto. Bobrovsky was two saves better.

After the game, captain Auston Matthews told media in Florida that the Leafs knew the series wouldn’t be easy. William Nylander said it was going to be a long series.

No kidding, guys. That doesn’t let the team off the hook for what was lacking in Game 4.

Starting with Matthews, Nylander and Mitch Marner, all of the Leafs have to reach a higher level on Wednesday. If they can stand the heat.

GAME ON

There was one reason why the Leafs had a shot at winning the game through two periods: Woll. It was 1-0 Florida through 40 minutes and the Leafs were being outshot 29-12. A glove save on Sam Reinhart midway through the second — while the Leafs were on a power play, no less — was among Woll’s work that stood out … Bobrovsky preserved his shutout when he made a tough save on a Matthew Knies backhand a few minutes into the third period. Knies later had the tying goal on his stick as teammate Oliver Ekman-Larsson served an interference minor, but shot high on a breakaway. The Leafs had their chances … The Leafs should have been able to recover following an errant pass by Nylander on the play that led to Sam Bennett’s goal. Instead, the always-reliable pairing of Chris Tanev and Jake McCabe didn’t communicate, giving Bennett a clear path to beat Woll at 12:09 of the third … The Leafs’ four minors in the first period marked just the second time in these playoffs they’ve been shorthanded four times in a game. It also happened in Game 3 in Ottawa against the Senators, which the Leafs won in overtime. The difference back on April 24 was the penalties weren’t all in one period … As a result of the Leafs’ run to the box, and we would say that none of the penalties were cheap calls, Toronto got no offensive flow in the opening 20 minutes and had just four shots on goal. Still, Bobrovsky had to make a sharp glove save on Matthews after tracking a pass from across the zone. That came before Carter Verhaeghe scored on Florida’s fourth power play … Max Domi’s errant high stick on Matthew Tkachuk began the Leafs’ barrage of first-period penalties. Now, we’ll find out if further penalty awaits after he was assessed a major for boarding at the end of the game for his hit on Aleksander Barkov. This isn’t the first time that Domi and discipline (or lack thereof) have been used in the same sentence … Simon Benoit had five hits in the first period and finished the game with eight. None was bigger than his crushing of Reinhart behind the Leafs net during one of the Panthers’ initial power plays. If Leafs general manager Brad Treliving wants to add depth on the blue line this summer, it won’t be to replace Benoit … There was Matthews with another miss after he drew a holding call on Eetu Luostarinen five minutes into the second period. Matthews wound up for a one-timer in the slot and fired a shot wide. In a one-goal game, a power-play goal there would have been rather large … Nylander’s burst to the net in the second was impressive, though he got too wide to get a shot off. More impressive was that it was Gustav Forsling, the excellent Panthers defenceman, who Nylander tricked on the play. Later, Forsling helped thwart Nylander on a breakaway … Florida defenceman Dmitry Kulikov got away with an elbow to the head of Mitch Marner late in the second … The 37 shots allowed were the most the Leafs have given up in the playoffs. The previous high was 36, which came in Game 3 against the Panthers … When numbers lie: The Leafs won 33 of 52 faceoffs (63%). That success at the dot didn’t matter.

LAST CHANGE

A further indication that Matthews is playing through something: He was the only Leafs regular who did not take part in the morning skate following the team’s day off on Saturday. If this was about maintenance or rest (though the Leafs apparently didn’t provide a reason for Matthews’ absence) then why not give, say, Tanev the morning off? Tanev is getting banged around night in, night out, more than anyone on any team in the playoffs … We keep waiting for Bobby McMann to make an impact on the scoresheet, as he has not scored since March 25 against the Philadelphia Flyers, when he got the winner in a 7-2 Leafs victory. His goalless streak is now at 21 games, including playoffs. We weren’t the only ones who thought McMann’s speed and size would make a difference this spring after he missed the post-season last year because of an injury. After scoring 20 goals in his first 63 regular-season games, though, there has been nothing. He’s not getting to the interior of the ice like he should be and in turn can’t put his good hands to use. In Game 4, McMann had no shots on goal and just one attempt. In short, his lack of production has been a disappointment … During availability on Sunday morning, Nylander briefly addressed with media in Florida the last shift of Game 3, when he and several Leafs were caught on the ice for well over a minute in overtime. Nylander barely was moving in the defensive zone before Brad Marchand scored the winner. “I was pretty tired,” Nylander said, cool as usual. “That’s about it. They scored.”

tkoshan@postmedia.com

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