Mark Giordano has been on the ice for a team-high 11 goals against at even strength during the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. With Justin Holl out of the lineup, the veteran is -2 in the three games.

Mark Giordano is well aware that he isn't playing his best hockey as of late.

Down 2-0 in their best-of-seven series with the Florida Panthers, the veteran Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman admitted he has to do better to help his team fight out of an early hole his club has dug in the second round.

"For me, it hasn't been good enough," Giordano said. "I've taken pride in working hard on the little details and finding ways to be on the positive end at the end of the night."

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Although there were times he had struggled in the opening round, many believed it was due to Justin Holl's play as the veteran's defensive partner. Holl hasn't played in Toronto's last three playoff games. In that time, Giordano has been on the ice for one goal and three against.

"No matter what you want to say about goals against and plus/minus is a bad stat. It's a stat on who wins the game," Giordano said.

The 39-year-old defenseman is playing in the second round for the very first time in his NHL career. Before this season, Giordano's most extensive playoff experience was with the Calgary Flames during the 2020 COVID bubble. He played in 10 playoff games and it's expected he will be in the lineup for his ninth playoff game this year on Monday when the Maple Leafs visit the Panthers at FLA Live Arena for Game 3. And while Giordano isn't the only one struggling during the season, it's clear changes are coming.

Erik Gustaffson skated on the second power-play unit while Holl skated with TJ Brodie during penalty-killing duty. It looks like both players could draw in while Giordano would likely still be part of a group of seven D-men.

And that could be the best fit for Giordano, who had to take on more penalty-kill duty in Holl's absence.

The Maple Leafs practiced with four even forward lines, including Zach Aston-Reese returning on the wing of the fourth line. Alex Kerfoot moved up to the third line in the wake of Matthew Knies concussion suffered in Game 2.

Whatever role an 11 and 7 means for Giordano, it's clear that the player needs to play better.

"Obviously, the pace of play has been significant in both series both in the types of forecheck and competitiveness we've seen. It doesn't make it easy on any of the defense. There's been a lot of our guys that have had some tough times with that," Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said of Giordano. "Gio just has to stay with it and stay confident in who he is. And as a group on the ice, we all have to support one another."

Giordano suffered from a brutal hit along the glass from Tampa Bay Lightning forward Pat Maroon in Game 5. He had also been dealing with an undisclosed injury during the final week of the regular season. Giordano didn't address any of those when asked about the wear and tear he has gone through as the oldest player in the NHL.

"Physically our staff does a great job of putting us in great positions. If you get less minutes, you get more skills time out there. If you play more minutes you get rest. There shouldn't be anything like that. Usually, at this point of the season, you feel good cardio-wise."

Tough day of practice for Ilya Samsonov

It is expected that Ilya Samsonov will be in goal for the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 3 against the Florida Panthers, but the Russian goaltender had quite the challenge during the team's practice on Saturday.

Samsonov, who likes to practice with the team to replicate game scenarios, was seen grabbing his left side. He broke one of his sticks early in practice after allowing a goal. And then later in practice, he allowed a goal from John Tavares and swung his stick at the crossbar in frustration.

He later went to the bench where goaltending coach Curtis Sanford spoke to him at length. Whatever was said after that appeared to cool the goaltender down, even having fun with Michael Bunting by playfully shooting a puck at him toward the end of practice.

But there were several situations where the goaltender appeared to be favoring his left side, something that was seen frequently since Feb. 25 and dismissed by the goaltender many times as "nothing crazy".

The 26-year-old was in a sour mood following Toronto's 3-2 loss against the Panthers on Thursday.  His .895 save percentage is the third-worst of any goaltender remaining in the playoffs, only beating out Edmonton's Stuart Skinner and New Jersey's Vitek Vanecek.

It's worth noting that Samsonov has made timely saves when his team has needed them and he's a big reason why the Leafs were able to escape the first round for the first time since 2004.

But Samsonov is under his toughest test yet. Surely, another loss by the Leafs on Sunday would put Toronto in a difficult hole and only then might they contemplate a goaltending change.

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