The Florida Panthers may have eliminated the Toronto Maple Leafs [http://thn.com/toronto] in two of the past three post-seasons, and a rivalry seems to be brewing, but that hasn't stopped the teams from having respect for one another. Several Panthers players praised the Maple Leafs' effort in their second-round battle, which went to Game 7 [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/players/if-we-were-to-lose-that-game-it-could-ve-been-different-panthers-anton-lundell-talks-about-the-turning-point-in-series-win-over-the-maple-leafs]. The Leafs have attempted to emulate the Panthers' success through roster building, looking at getting tougher to play against and signing several ex-Panthers, like Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Anthony Stolarz and Steven Lorentz. Recently, Leafs coach Craig Berube, a Stanley Cup-winning coach with the St. Louis Blues in 2019, joined Rob Simpson on his show, Simmer's Morning Skate [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH8JjT97qWA], and discussed why the Panthers win and what it takes. "They got a great mix of players that are committed to one thing only: winning. And it starts with their captain and their top guys," said Berube. "He (Barkov) just plays the game properly. Everybody follows and listens. They have that right mindset, they initiate everything, and they make teams uncomfortable. They are a deep team; they got a good team. No doubt about it. Very well coached." Craig Berube (John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/7912b7af-09f8-488f-98ba-f8f9fb33637c.jpeg] Craig Berube (John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images) The Panthers are a committed and selfless bunch, willing to sacrifice high point totals for attentiveness on keeping the puck out of their net. The Panthers wear their opponents down with their dump-and-chase play style, physicality on the forecheck and their ability to make simple plays very difficult. "But again, it’s hard to win in this league because there are so many good players and it’s tight," said the 59-year-old coach. "We all know that. If you don’t have the commitment from every player on the team to 'this is what we got to do every night to be successful'. It’s hard because all these players are brought up throughout their careers, whether it’s junior or college, it’s skill, skill, skill. You've got to have skill, but you've got to have the other things if you want to win. The best team wins." The Panthers and Maple Leafs could very well meet again in the playoffs, but the Maple Leafs will look different. Without Mitch Marner [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/mitch-marner-reveals-intense-backlash-and-had-full-time-security-at-his-home-following-maple-leafs-2025-playoff-exit], the Leafs' skill level is lower, but they've added bigger bodies to their lineup. The additions of Nicolas Roy [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/nicolas-roy-ready-for-top-six-role-with-maple-leafs-whenever-called-upon] and Dakota Joshua [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/maple-leafs-dakota-joshua-excited-to-reunite-with-craig-berube-as-new-chapter-begins] to their bottom six are ways of improving their depth and to compete with the Panthers if they do meet again.
