Latest news with #OliverEkman-Larsson
Edmonton Journal
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Edmonton Journal
LEAFS NOTES: It is time for Toronto's playoff additions to shine
Article content While goalie Anthony Stolarz didn't play a lot in the Panthers' final mile to the title, he had been a huge piece — literally — of Toronto's playoff success before suffering a suspected concussion. As have defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and winger Steven Lorentz. 'Guys who've gone through it, who've battled through it, their message to the team is important,' Leafs head coach Craig Berube said. 'They've done a really good job of it personally. And they're showing it on the ice, too.' ON THE ROAD AGAIN This is the Panthers' 10th series in three years, including four that took them back and forth through the Northeast and Cup championship rounds in Las Vegas and Edmonton. So, it can be said coach Paul Maurice's team travels well, even if they have to come back to Toronto on the weekend for a possible Game 7. 'We're truly used to it,' Maurice said. 'We sat on the tarmac for three hours trying to let the rain go down before flying to Edmonton last year and got roasted for not flying in there two days earlier. We found a way to scratch one out.'
Edmonton Journal
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Edmonton Journal
5 key factors in second-round series between Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers
Article content We take a look at five potential factors in the best-of-seven series between the Leafs — who had a full day off on Friday — and Panthers. DEPTH IN EXPERIENCE Three former Panthers who have a Cup ring tucked away at home — goalie Anthony Stolarz, defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and winger Steven Lorentz — each made a varying degree of contribution in the Leafs' success in 2024-25. That knowledge of enduring the hardships of the post-season is crucial. It doesn't come close, though, to what the Panthers have in returning players after winning the Cup last spring. Of the Panthers who were in the lineup to eliminate the Lightning in Game 5 on Monday, no less than 12 saw the ice in Game 7 of the final last June when Florida beat the Edmonton Oilers. That would have been 13 had defenceman Aaron Ekblad not been suspended for the finale against Tampa — a penalty that will carry through Game 1 against the Leafs. And consider that among the players added by the Panthers is forward Brad Marchand, who won the Cup in 2011 with the Boston Bruins and has played in 162 playoff games in the National Hockey League.
National Post
02-05-2025
- Sport
- National Post
5 key factors in second-round series between Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers
Article content Use the adjectives you want — the Maple Leafs' opponent in the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs will present a much larger challenge than what the Ottawa Senators provided. Article content That would be the defending Cup champion Florida Panthers, who many figured would have had a slog against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round. Instead, the Panthers vanquished their cross-state rivals in five games. Article content We take a look at five potential factors in the best-of-seven series between the Leafs — who had a full day off on Friday — and Panthers. Article content Article content DEPTH IN EXPERIENCE Article content Three former Panthers who have a Cup ring tucked away at home — goalie Anthony Stolarz, defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and winger Steven Lorentz — each made a varying degree of contribution in the Leafs' success in 2024-25. Article content That knowledge of enduring the hardships of the post-season is crucial. It doesn't come close, though, to what the Panthers have in returning players after winning the Cup last spring. Article content Of the Panthers who were in the lineup to eliminate the Lightning in Game 5 on Monday, no less than 12 saw the ice in Game 7 of the final last June when Florida beat the Edmonton Oilers. That would have been 13 had defenceman Aaron Ekblad not been suspended for the finale against Tampa — a penalty that will carry through Game 1 against the Leafs. Article content And consider that among the players added by the Panthers is forward Brad Marchand, who won the Cup in 2011 with the Boston Bruins and has played in 162 playoff games in the National Hockey League. Article content Article content The Leafs had the advantage in healed playoff scars against Ottawa. In this series, that has been completely flipped. The Panthers' experience in winning a Cup after losing in the final in 2023 to Vegas beats winning two first rounds in three years, as the Leafs have done. Article content Article content The importance of goaltending and special teams get lumped together before every playoff series and with good reason: Any lack in either and you're likely going home for the summer. Article content Stolarz had an edge in high-danger save percentage at five-on-five with a mark of .862 against the Sens, while Bobrovsky posted an .800 mark versus the Lightning.
New York Times
25-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
The Maple Leafs' Atlantic Division title is paying off. Now they have to finish the job
OTTAWA — We are just six nights into the Stanley Cup playoffs, and already the Toronto Maple Leafs have realized the immense benefits of chasing down the Atlantic Division crown. Securing that spot booked them a first-round matchup with the Ottawa Senators, a talented but inexperienced bunch, and Toronto has wasted no time in exerting control to grab a 3-0 lead in a series for the first time in a generation. Advertisement While they'll obviously be careful not to get ahead of themselves with a chance to finish off the sweep Saturday and secure another week of preparation for Round 2, the Senators don't exactly look or sound like a group ready to rally. 'It's disheartening, to say the least,' Ottawa coach Travis Green said after Thursday's 3-2 overtime loss — the second straight game in which his group rallied in the third period only to come up short. Making a playoff appearance for the ninth straight year, the Leafs know as well as anyone how thin the margins can be in the springtime. That includes the difference between facing a wild-card team, with only eight players on the roster who had prior playoff experience, and what they might have gotten in a matchup against the Florida Panthers or Tampa Bay Lightning instead. The perils of facing a perennial Stanley Cup contender are real. Tampa Bay finished second in the Atlantic this season — six points behind Toronto — and opened the Battle of Florida with two home games against the Panthers. They now find themselves in a 2-0 hole. If the Leafs manage to finish off the sweep, which would be the organization's first since a 2001 first-round series against Ottawa, they'll get the chance to sit back and wait for the winner of the Panthers-Lightning series to emerge. That's an appealing proposition for a team with serious designs on a long playoff run. Every bit of energy conserved matters. 'In a perfect world, yeah,' said veteran defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, a Cup winner last spring in Florida. 'But we also know that this is probably the hardest one coming up, too. We're going to prepare for the next one, put everything on the line, and that's all we can do.' Had Toronto not pushed so hard for the Atlantic Division title and secured it in Game 81, it's hard to imagine it'd be in such an enviable position entering the second weekend of the playoffs. Just four weeks ago, the Maple Leafs sat second in the standings. They were one point behind the Panthers until leapfrogging them with a March 29 win at the Los Angeles Kings — starting a closing stretch in which they went 9-1 to lock up the franchise's first crown in a full NHL season since taking the Northeast Division in 1999-00. Advertisement They've been firing on all cylinders since the puck dropped in a best-of-seven against the Senators, playing a patient style under head coach Craig Berube that sees them get routinely outshot (Ottawa has an 81-65 edge overall in that department) but makes them less prone to costly defensive breakdowns. When you pair that with game-breaking talent at the top of the roster, a lethal power play and a red-hot goaltender in Anthony Stolarz, they're a formidable opponent. And they've only lost three of the past 19 games they've played overall. 'We didn't have an easy schedule to finish off there,' forward Mitch Marner said. 'We knew they were going to be hard games and playoff-like games. We tried to buy in at an early stage, and it's worked out well so far.' The Leafs do not currently bear much resemblance to the Leafs of years gone by, a group that piled playoff heartbreak on top of playoff heartbreak while going 1-8 in various series dating back to 2017. Finishing off the Senators quickly will almost certainly come with a huge shot of belief, if not some added relief. But even in building a commanding 3-0 series advantage, the players seemed to be keeping their feet on the ground. Naturally, there was some excitement in the air after Simon Benoit delivered an unlikely overtime winner on Thursday night, but no one was getting too carried away. 'You can't be satisfied with where you're at now,' Marner said. 'To be honest, it doesn't really mean anything,' captain Auston Matthews added. 'We can't take our foot off the gas.' They've basically had the pedal to the floor for a month already. Going back to March, they didn't shy away from the importance of finishing ahead of the Panthers and Lightning in order to set up the best path possible through the playoff bracket and secure some extra home games at Scotiabank Arena. Advertisement It's also built an unwavering sense of purpose, which has held strong even during the most challenging moments against Ottawa. The Leafs lost third-period leads in Games 2 and 3 and still managed to push the Senators to the brink of elimination. 'It says a lot about our group,' Ekman-Larsson said. 'It's going to happen. There's another team trying to do the same thing as you, and you're going to get a s—-y bounce or a mistake or (they'll make) a really good play. 'It's how you handle those bounces and stay in the game.' (Photo of Auston Matthews: Chris Tanouye / Freestyle Photography / Getty Images)
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Home-ice advantage seems to be a real thing so far in the NHL playoffs
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb (3) and Minnesota Wild center Gustav Nyquist (41) fall to the ice during the third period of Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker) St. Louis Blues head coach Jim Montgomery talks to media at a post NHL round one playoff game press conference in Winnipeg on Saturday, April 19, 2025. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP) Florida Panthers players celebrate after defeating the against the Tampa Bay Lightning during Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) Toronto Maple Leafs' Oliver Ekman-Larsson (95) rides on top of Ottawa Senators' Ridly Greig (71) during the third period of an NHL hockey playoff game in Toronto, on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (Cole Burston/The Canadian Press via AP) Toronto Maple Leafs' Oliver Ekman-Larsson (95) rides on top of Ottawa Senators' Ridly Greig (71) during the third period of an NHL hockey playoff game in Toronto, on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (Cole Burston/The Canadian Press via AP) Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb (3) and Minnesota Wild center Gustav Nyquist (41) fall to the ice during the third period of Game 2 of a first-round NHL hockey playoff series Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker) St. Louis Blues head coach Jim Montgomery talks to media at a post NHL round one playoff game press conference in Winnipeg on Saturday, April 19, 2025. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP) Florida Panthers players celebrate after defeating the against the Tampa Bay Lightning during Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara) Toronto Maple Leafs' Oliver Ekman-Larsson (95) rides on top of Ottawa Senators' Ridly Greig (71) during the third period of an NHL hockey playoff game in Toronto, on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. (Cole Burston/The Canadian Press via AP) Home-ice advantage hasn't really existed over the past couple of years in the Stanley Cup playoffs. In 2023 and 2024, visiting teams won more games than the home teams did. That's not the case so far in 2025. Advertisement Entering Wednesday, home teams were 10-3 in this postseason. And the teams at home on Thursday in the NHL — Tampa Bay, Ottawa, St. Louis and Minnesota — are surely hoping that trend continues. The Senators are down 2-0 to Toronto, the Blues are down 2-0 to Winnipeg, the Lightning are down 1-0 to Florida and the Wild can take a 2-1 lead in their series over Vegas if they successfully protect home ice on Thursday. It's not must-win time for any of them, but there's certainly some urgency. 'I know it's been a long time coming for Sens fans,' Ottawa forward Brady Tkachuk said, looking ahead to what will be the first home playoff game for the Senators since May 23, 2017. 'We're going to really need them and I'm looking forward to getting out there in Game 3 in front of our fans.' St. Louis had chances; it led Game 1 in the third period and went into the third period of Game 2 tied. The Blues hope being at home provides the little extra boost that wasn't there for Games 1 and 2 in Winnipeg. Advertisement 'We're going to have the last line change now,' Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. 'We're going to go home. We're going to be in front of our frenzied crowd. And we're going to have an opportunity to hold serve at home.' The Lightning are trying to avoid dropping Games 1 and 2 of a series at home for the first time since Round 1 in 2019, when they were the top overall seed but wound up getting swept by Columbus — and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who now stars for Florida. 'The bottom line is we lost,' Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said after Game 1. 'Whether you lose 6-2 or you lose 1-0 in overtime, we lost the game. Turn the page and move on.' Minnesota can take a 2-1 series lead, after a 5-2 win in Game 2 at Vegas. The NHL said when a best-of-seven playoff series has been tied 1-1, 66% of the Game 3 winners have eventually won the series. Advertisement Florida Panthers at Tampa Bay Lightning When/Where to Watch: Game 2, 6:30 p.m. EDT (TBS, truTV, Max) Series: Panthers, 1-0. Florida got Matthew Tkachuk (two goals, one assist) back for Game 1, a 6-2 road win on Tuesday that gave the Panthers the early upper hand in the series. Don't tell Panthers coach Paul Maurice that it'll mean much going into Game 2. 'Don't mean to be a downer here, but not a huge believer in momentum,' Really not. Puck drops. That's your opportunity to change momentum and it's going to happen at the opening face-off. Both teams will look at the game and find things they can do better." Advertisement Tampa Bay did a lot of things right in Game 1, particularly hold Florida to 16 shots. Problem was, only 10 of them got stopped. Toronto Maple Leafs at Ottawa Senators When/Where to Watch: Game 3, 7 p.m. EDT (ESPN2) Series: Maple Leafs, 2-0. Toronto is in total control of the Battle of Ontario. This is the 11th time — first since 2002 — that the Maple Leafs grabbed a 2-0 series lead by winning Games 1 and 2 on home ice. In the previous 10 instances, Toronto went on to win the series. And there's this: Ottawa has never won a series when trailing 2-0. It has happened nine previous times, the Senators lost all nine of those matchups. Advertisement To their credit, the Senators are not panicking. 'We've got to play a little better next game,' coach Travis Green said. Vegas Golden Knights at Minnesota Wild When/Where to Watch: Game 3, 9 p.m. EDT (TBS, truTV, Max) Series: Tied, 1-1. If the Wild's top line has been dominant through the first two games of this series, the opposite is true for the Golden Knights. The line of Jack Eichel, Ivan Barbashev and Mark Stone has not registered a point. Eichel didn't even have a shot on goal in Tuesday night's 5-2 loss to the Wild. He had just two in the opener, a 4-2 Vegas victory. 'They're elite, world-class players and they've got to get going,' Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said. 'We've got to help them. We're trying to help them.' Advertisement Cassidy believes they could still make a strong impact. So does Minnesota. 'Their top line, frustrated a little bit, but they're special players,' Wild forward Marcus Foligno said. 'They're going to find ways. ... We've got to respect them, but not too much, and play the way we've been playing.' Winnipeg Jets at St. Louis Blues When/Where to Watch: Game 3, 9:30 p.m. EDT (ESPN2) Series: Jets, 2-0. St. Louis has successfully come back from a 2-0 series deficit in a best-of-seven once before — 1972 against Minnesota. So, it is possible. The Blues have to be encouraged that Games 1 and 2 were close. But finding a way to beat the Jets four times in five games will be daunting. And Winnipeg is vowing to keep a simple, effective approach going into Game 3. Advertisement 'It's just about beating the man across from you, competing every single shift,' Jets forward Kyle Connor said. A potential boost for the Jets: Gabriel Vilardi will be with the team in St. Louis. Vilardi missed the final 11 games of the regular season with an upper-body injury; he had 27 goals for Winnipeg this season. ___ AP Sports Writer Mark Anderson in Las Vegas contributed to this report. Information from The Canadian Press was also utilized. ___ AP NHL:
