For the Toronto Maple Leafs, Game 6 was a clear example of what full buy-in to head coach Craig Berube’s system can look like when executed in a must-win Game 6. Backed by a composed, patient, and disciplined performance on the road, the Leafs weathered the storm and blanked the Florida Panthers 2-0 on Friday night to force a Game 7.

“Just not backing down,” said star winger Mitch Marner post-game. “The excitement level, as I talked about this morning, that we had in the morning skate, and just carrying that over into the game. It’s not going to be an easy game, you’re not going to get many looks. We just stuck with our guns and made sure we made hard plays and got the result.”

The club got back to the type of hockey they played in Games 1 and 2 of their second-round series against the defending Stanley Cup champions. Looking closer, their effort on Friday night was the identity this team has been trying to build all season. In Game 6, it showed up when it mattered most.

After a humbling 6-1 Game 5 loss at home on Wednesday, one that ended with the Leafs getting booed off the ice at Scotiabank Arena, the players responded by leaning into the confident mindset Berube has brought to Toronto. The Leafs blocked shots. They won puck battles. They stayed patient. And they didn’t break.

“Like we’ve talked about all year, we don’t care. We just go out there and we want to do our thing. That’s what you love about this team is, there’s a lot of trust in that locker room with one another. We know it wasn’t going to be easy. We knew we weren’t going to get many looks. The thing we just loved about it is staying patient with our game. A couple of big kills to start it off, too. We just stuck with it and got the result,” said Marner.

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Specifically, Marner and captain Auston Matthews were under fire following a disastrous Game 5, where each player committed costly turnovers that directly led to Panthers goals. In Game 6, they responded with a cleaner, more responsible game with the puck. Most importantly, they combined for the game-winning goal, a moment of redemption for the long-time duo, showing some resilience under pressure.

Following a mishandling with the puck from Florida, Marner picked it up at the Panthers’ blue line, feeding Matthews, who beat Sergei Bobrovsky for his first goal of the series, breaking the tie in the third period. It was arguably the biggest goal of the 27-year-old’s career.

“Just tried to stay above both D and kind of bobbled it. I was able to jump on it quickly and, like we’ve done all year, I tried to get [the puck] to Tone with speed coming down the ice, and regardless of where he’s shooting from, there’s always a chance it goes in,” Marner explained. “It’s a goalscorer’s goal. We needed that, and that’s what he does.”

Matthews now has 11 points (3G, 8A) in 12 playoff games this year, but perhaps more importantly, he and Marner answered their critics for the time being. They showed up and were fully engaged in all three zones. Veteran Max Pacioretty, who scored the insurance goal in the contest, made a point to highlight their all-around impact beyond the scoresheet, helping shut down the Panthers’ offense and holding them scoreless.

“Both of them played a great hockey game. Everyone will probably want to talk about the goal and the points, but even there at the end, there are just so many good plays that I can replay in my mind, of winning stick battles and winning puck battles to seal that win,” said Pacioretty.

“I’ve never been as good as them, but I’ve been in their shoes a little bit, where you’re kind of judged on one thing, as a player. But they bring so much to this team as a group. It doesn’t go unnoticed and they showed it tonight,” he added.

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The penalty kill set the tone early with two big kills in the first period, four in total across the 60 minutes, and the rest of the game followed suit.  After jumping out to a 2-0 series lead, Toronto dropped three straight games. The outside noise was loud after the disappointing showing in Game 5, and the pressure was mounting. But in Game 6, the Leafs blocked it all out, and they’ll need to do it again as they prepare for a do-or-die Game 7.

“That’s what you want to play for, especially when you’re going down 3-2 into an away building. You want to bring your best, and I thought we did,” said Marner. “The job’s only going to get harder, so don’t be satisfied, got to take care of yourself, take the rest you need, and get ready for a hard game.”

“It’s always exciting. It’s always a lot of fun, and this is, I think, one of our first ones at home. Maybe our second. It’ll be great to hear our fanbase, and I’m sure they’ll be ready for it,” he added.

Game 7 returns to Scotiabank Arena, the same place where the Leafs were booed off the ice just days ago. Their last Game 7 at home ended in a first-round loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2022.

On the bright side, it’s also another opportunity to write a new chapter and a real shot at redemption through a system the team has bought into. All that’s left now is to finish the job.

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