Maple Leafs eager for Game 7 on Sunday night: 'It never gets old'

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This is what the Maple Leafs have been working toward all season.

Game 7, home ice, win or spend the next several months contemplating what could have been.

A victory against the Florida Panthers on Sunday night at Scotiabank Arena in the best-of-seven series and the Leafs will be right back at it on Tuesday at home, squaring off against the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final.

Losing isn’t an option.

“The nerves are there, but that’s what you want,” defenceman Morgan Rielly said after the morning skate. “That’s what you train for during the off season. That’s what you tell yourself you’re training for, at least, the opportunity to play in the playoffs and playing in these important games that mean the most.

“We’re here now. You want to make the most of it.”

Following speculation about the status of winger Matthew Knies after he was hurt in a collision with Panthers defenceman Niko Mikkola in Game 6, Leafs coach Craig Berube confirmed that Knies will be in the lineup.

“He’s good to go,” Berube said. “I anticipate using him (as he normally would).

“This time of year, everybody is banged up. You’re banged up, you’re hurt, and there’s a lot of that with a lot of teams and a lot of players.

“But this time of year, you play through it, right? It’s too important not to.”

At the morning skate, Knies was in his usual spot on the top line with captain Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, and did some work with the Leafs’ top power-play unit as well.

The Leafs have a 12-15 record in Game 7s in franchise history. The defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers are 3-1 in Game 7s.

A Leafs victory will put them in the Eastern Conference final for the first time since 2002, when they lost to Carolina in six games.

Berube wants his players to take advantage of the atmosphere in the building. Just don’t cross a line.

“It’s excitement for our group playing at home, in front of our crowd, passionate crowd, passionate fans, passionate city,” Berube said. “But don’t get caught up in it. Do what you did in Game 6 (in a 2-0 win in Florida on Friday).

“We know what to expect from Florida, and that’s a great team. Simplify your game. Everybody’s nervous a little bit. You have to get the nerves out on the first couple shifts. Play direct, be direct, and rely on your teammates. And that’s who you’re playing for. Your teammates.”

Marner and Tavares head a group of Leafs who will be eligible for unrestricted free agency this summer, one that includes forwards Max Pacioretty and Steven Lorentz, defenceman Jani Hakanpaa and goalie Matt Murray. None, no matter their importance for the Leafs, wants to think about the season ending on Sunday night.

It’s the sixth Game 7 for the trio of Marner, Matthews and Nylander. Matthews has three assists in Game 7s; Marner has two. Nylander has two goals and two assists. The Leafs have won none of those games.

“Just feels like it’s a regular game day,” Nylander said. “Hope it stays like that.”

Tavares, not that we would expect anything else, was taking nothing for granted.

“Never gets old,” Tavares said. “Playing at this level, whether it’s stepping on the ice in preseason, or a Game 7 like tonight, it’s got the same excitement and feeling as you did as a kid, to want to play in the NHL and play in these types of games, in these types of moments.

“You try to enjoy every part of it, but also focus on the things that you have to do throughout the day to get ready to play and then go out there and give it your all.”

tkoshan@postmedia.com

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