Kampf, Robertson draw into Maple Leafs lineup for Game 5
David Kampf, who hasn’t played since April 2, didn’t take part in the optional skate, an indication that he could be in lineup.
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Craig Berube indeed made lineup changes on Wednesday night.
After being evasive regarding his roster plans on Wednesday morning, the Maple Leafs coach dressed centre David Kampf and winger Nick Robertson for Game 5 against the Florida Panthers at Scotiabank Arena.
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Kampf, Robertson draw into Maple Leafs lineup for Game 5 Back to video
Forwards Calle Jarnkrok and Pontus Holmberg were scratched.
Robertson took warmup on the right side on a line with centre Max Domi and Bobby McMann, while Kampf centred Scott Laughton and Steven Lorentz on a new-look fourth line.
Kampf, who hadn’t played since April 2, didn’t take part in the optional, an indication that he could be in the lineup. Robertson hadn’t played since the second game of the first round against the Ottawa Senators.
Berube said in the morning that any changes would be the coach’s decision and not injury-related.
Defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson was in the lineup after missing practice on Tuesday because he was sick.
The Leafs’ depth lines needed a shakeup. Holmberg, Jarnkrok, Laughton, McMann and Lorentz played in all 10 playoff games prior to Game 5 and contributed zero goals.
Fact is, whether the Leafs rebound in the series after losing the past two games will come down to the impact of the team’s top players.
Captain Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander all have to find another gear after the Leafs were shut out in Game 4.
Count John Tavares among those who would like to make a bigger difference. Tavares has two goals in the series, and both came in Game 3, when the Leafs lost in overtime.
Getting pucks past Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky be any easier as the clubs compete to take a 3-2 series lead in the second-round best-of-seven.
“Execution always probably the No. 1 thing,” Tavares said. “But you’re talking about a team that defends real well, built their game over the last couple years and now (are) the defending champs.”
The Leafs, who have a 4-1-0 record at home in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, are looking for a similar answer after they lost two consecutive games in the first round against Ottawa, when they put the Senators to bed in Game 6.
“I feel like we’ve responded all playoffs long, frankly,” defenceman Jake McCabe said. “Whether it’s through a series or throughout a game, I think our resilience has been solid. Composure has been good, so I don’t expect that to change.”
The Panthers won’t have forward Evan Rodrigues after he absorbed a hit from Ekman-Larsson in Game 4. Jesper Boqvist will come into the Florida lineup, coach Paul Maurice said.
When asked about his sense of his team, Maurice made reference to the Eastern Conference final last year. The Panthers were down 2-1 in the series against the New York Rangers and won Game 4 at home. In Game 5 at Madison Square Garden, the Panthers won 3-2 to take a 3-2 seres lead and finished off the Rangers in Game 6.
“This is where we’re supposed to be,” Maurice said. “This is the setup exactly as the Ranger game. We were down in the series, came back, went into New York … it’s harvesting that excitement about it. That’s how we’re moving around each other today.”
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