Times in Toronto could’ve gone differently had the Maple Leafs defeated the Florida Panthers in Game 3 of their second-round series this past spring.
Those were the words of two-time Stanley Cup Champion and Florida Panthers forward Anton Lundell, who sat down with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas for 32 Thoughts: The Podcast during the European NHL Player Media Tour in Milan, Italy.
We all remember how Toronto’s playoffs went against Florida: the Maple Leafs were up 2-0 in the series and had a 3-1 lead in Game 3 before it evaporated with the Panthers winning in overtime, courtesy of Brad Marchand. Florida then won three of the next four games, eliminating Toronto inside Scotiabank Arena in Game 7.
“I think there was always a little pressure, but I got to say, somehow we were so confident that we were going to turn the series over because we felt like in every game, we were the better team, but we lost. So we believed that in seven games, we should be able to win four,” Lundell said.
“Obviously, they were such a good team, like, it was a hard series. I mean, they were up in Game 3, 3-1 in the second or something, and when we won that game, that was the game-changer. We were like, ‘Okay, now it’s our time to press the gas, now we go.’ But I got to say, if we were to lose that game, it could’ve been a different series for sure.”
Lundell was one of Florida’s top players in the series, centring Marchand and Eetu Luostarinen on the third line. Even before the series began, Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube identified Lundell as a difficult player to go up against.
He finished with five points (two goals and three assists) in the series, including the game-winning goal in Game 7 to send the Panthers to the third round of the playoffs.
Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving also admitted during his season-ending media availability that the Game 3 loss to the Panthers changed the outlook of the series in Florida’s favor.
“I believe a big moment in that series is Game 3. You’re playing against the Stanley Cup Champions, you got a chance to get them on the mat, we’re up 2-0, we’re up 3-1, critical moment, we weren’t able to close it out,” Treliving said.
“It’s not to close out the series, but a 3-0 lead, we know what the odds are and the percentages there if we were to get ourselves in that position.”
While speaking with Friedman and Bukauskas, Lundell also said that a three-peat will be the most difficult accomplishment Florida will face in the upcoming season. Winning twice in a row was hard, but now they have an even bigger target on their back, with every team they go up against playing strong, both in the regular season and playoffs.
Toronto’s first game against the two-time defending Stanley Cup Champions next season will be played in Florida on Dec. 2, with the Panthers returning to Toronto for the first time since their Game 7 win on Jan. 6.
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