Even if fatigue begins to settle in the camp of the Florida Panthers, the team has enough resources to overcome the Maple Leafs of Toronto. Head coach Paul Maurice didn’t expect an impeccable performance from his men, but he got what he paid for.
“We didn’t think we had a lot of legs tonight, so it was just character, admitted the pilot Thursday evening at a press conference, after the 3-2 win at Scotiabank Arena in Game 2 of the second series. round. We had to fight and fight in the most difficult moments. Some of them we inflicted on ourselves. […] It wasn’t a perfect game, but I didn’t expect that from my team.”
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The Panthers did much better than stay in the fight: they won. They found their offensive bearings at the right time and erected a wall around Sergei Bobrovsky from the second period.
No less than 90 hits were distributed, including 10 each by Sam Bennett and Noel Acciari; Bennett was also fined Friday $ 5,000 for a blow to the place of Michael Bunting. That’s a lot of energy to expend in a short time, but Florida held on.
“That’s five games in nine nights of the most intense and emotional pressure you can put on a hockey team. This is not the Jersey-Rangers series where the two teams were 11 miles apart. We did a lot of flying,” recalled Maurice.
A solid defense
Once again, Bobrovsky recalled why he was one of the highest-paid guards in the National League by snatching another game from the Leafs. His 35 saves were enough and the Russian has now won his last five starts.
“I think you need a goalie who’s going to steal a game in every series and that’s what he did tonight,” Maurice said. He walked. I don’t think it was easy for him at first. The way we played in front of him in the first 10 minutes made it difficult for him.
Alexander Kerfoot and Ryan O’Reilly had hit the target for the local favorites after 5 min 10 s of play, but doubt did not settle in the opposing camp. Still, despite this newfound success giving them a 2-0 series lead, the big cats will have to be careful.
“Everyone knows the games were close. They are two good teams and it is never over. We saw it last year, ”warned Anton Lundell, who no doubt still has his heart set on the Panthers’ sweep by the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round in 2022.
“We now have a few days to breathe and then we come back,” he added.
Returning to the FLA Live Arena for the first time since Game 6 against the Boston Bruins, the Panthers will be able to rest until Sunday. The fourth duel will then only take place on Wednesday.