The Maple Leafs will present a new look as they take on the opponents that knocked them out of the playoffs last spring
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The Toronto Maple Leafs will meet the Florida Panthers for the very first time since the second round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
With the Maple Leafs riding the high of winning their first playoff series in 19 years by eliminating the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games, the Panthers put a quick end to Toronto's Stanley Cup aspirations by taking the best-of-seven series in five games.
"It’s leaves a sour taste in your mouth and something you want to learn from," Maple Leafs captain John Tavares said following practice on Wednesday, "It’s disappointing, but for us we’re moving forward and learning from it."
The Maple Leafs will experiment with a new middle-six forward group. Matthew Knies will skate up on a line with Tavares and William Nylander. Calle Jarnkrok will move down to skate with rookie Fraser Minten and Max Domi.
Tyler Bertuzzi missed practice for maintenance and is expected to play in his regular spot alongside Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.
The Maple Leafs switched up the defensive pairs to start the third period in their 4-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday and will carry that new look into Thursday with Timothy Liljegren moving into a duo with Jake McCabe. Mark Giordano will skate with John Klingberg.
The 40-year-old Giordano saw a lot of Klingberg when the Swedish defenseman was with the Dallas Stars in 2020. The Calgary Flames, Giordano's team, fell to the Stars in six games in that first-round playoff series.
"He and Miro Heiskanen were their two best players (in that series) for sure. They basically (in my opinion) won them that series," Giordano said. "He super calm with the puck, super slick with it. So, you want to have it in his hands as much as you can."
Ilya Samsonov will get the start in goal for the Maple Leafs. It will be his third start of the season. Although the goaltender is 2-0-0, his save percentage is at a lowly .839.
The Panthers will be playing in their home opener after starting the season. After losing their first two games of the season, the Panthers edged the New Jersey Devils 4-3 in their last game. Sergei Bobrovsky has started in all three games for Florida and is expected to get the nod again on Thursday.
The club will also be unveiling their second Eastern Conference championship banner. The Panthers went on improbable run to the Stanley Cup finals that included upsetting the Presidents' Trophy-winning Boston Bruins in the opening round of the playoffs. The Bruins set the NHL record for wins (65) and points (135) last season.
Sam Bennett will not be in the lineup for the Florida Panthers. He has missed every game in the regular season due to a lower-body injury. There will be no chance for Toronto to exact revenge on the player who injured Knies during their second-round playoff series.
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8phYx-ZIAE[/embed]
Odds
BetMGM lists the Maple Leafs as a -135 favorite despite being the road team that has not looked great in any of their three regular season games.
Where to watch the game
For fans in the Maple Leafs' local broadcast region, the game will be broadcast on TSN4. For Canadian fans outside of their region, the game will be available to stream on Sportsnet+ Premium.
Fans in the South Florida region can watch and stream the game on Bally's Sports South Florida. American fans outside of the region can catch the game on ESPN+.
For the rest of the world, the game will be streamed on NHL Live.
The broadcast starts just after 7 p.m. ET.
Related
Maple Leafs' Ryan Reaves Explains Why He 'Never Really Liked' Blackhawks Forward Corey Perry
Report: Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews May Have had a Minor Procedure in Summer Before Last Season
News from THN.com
Sleepers and Keepers Podcast: Big Fantasy Hockey Questions from Week 1
Canucks' Conor Garland Draws More Interest in the NHL Trade Market
NHL Three Stars: Hill, Pettersson and Matthews Shine in Week One