May 9, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) defends his net against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the third period in game three of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/01e808bb-0bc1-46ed-bf79-8984b3978743.jpeg] May 9, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) defends his net against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the third period in game three of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images) The Florida Panthers were one shot away from falling into an 0-3 hole in their second-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Instead – thanks to an overtime goal by Brad Marchand – the Panthers are now one win away from evening the series and heading back to Toronto with confidence and momentum. The story of Game 3 from a Florida perspective was the roster moves made by Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice and the balanced scoring the Cats ended up providing. Maurice swapped out Florida’s entire fourth line, inserting Tomas Nosek, A.J. Greer and Jonah Gadjovich into the lineup, perhaps looking for a spark from a group that had yielded some strong advanced metrics when paired up during the regular season. They were utilized regularly on Friday, seeing shits both late in the third period and throughout the overtime session. As for balance, all four of Florida’s lines produced a goal in the 5-4 OT victory, something seen throughout the season and a key element of the Panthers’ success. The question of whether they will be able to keep that going on Sunday will be something to keep an eye on. Toronto has played exceptionally well during this series, particularly in terms of taking the Panther away from the way they want to play hockey. Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Game 4 against the Maple Leafs: Evan Rodrigues – Sasha Barkov – Sam Reinhart Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Brad Marchand A.J. Greer – Tomas Nosek – Jonah Gadjovich Gus Forsling – Aaron Ekblad Niko Mikkola – Seth Jones Nate Schmidt – Dmitry Kulikov Scratches: Mackie Samoskevich, Uvis Balinskis, Nico Sturm, Jesper Boqvist, Jaycob Megna LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA 'I was shocked': Evan Rodrigues discusses reaction to embellishment call in Game 2 [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/players/i-was-shocked-evan-rodrigues-discusses-reaction-to-embellishment-call-in-game-2] Panthers Hit Home Run With Brad Marchand Trade [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/panthers-hit-home-run-with-brad-marchand-trade] Three takeaways: Panthers finally play to their identity, savvy lineup changes pay huge dividends [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/three-takeaways-panthers-finally-play-to-their-identity-savvy-lineup-changes-pay-huge-dividends] All 4 lines contribute as Panthers get back in series with Game 3 OT win over Toronto [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/game-day/all-4-lines-contribute-as-panthers-get-back-in-series-with-game-3-ot-win-over-toronto] Panthers Make Lineup Changes For Game 3 Against Maple Leafs [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/panthers-make-lineup-changes-for-game-3-against-maple-leafs]
