Auston Matthews (34) of the pc28¹ÙÍøMaple Leafs prepares for a face-off against the Florida Panthers in the second game of round 2 of the NHL playoffs at the Scotiabank Arena on May 7, 2025.Â
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.—There were at least a couple of ways to look at the Maple Leafs’ 5-4 overtime loss in Game 3 of their second-round series with the Florida Panthers.
Auston Matthews (34) of the pc28¹ÙÍøMaple Leafs prepares for a face-off against the Florida Panthers in the second game of round 2 of the NHL playoffs at the Scotiabank Arena on May 7, 2025.Â
FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.—There were at least a couple of ways to look at the Maple Leafs’ 5-4 overtime loss in Game 3 of their second-round series with the Florida Panthers.
You could spin it as a blown chance to bury the reigning Stanley Cup champs deep in a 3-0 series hole. Handing a team as accomplished as Florida the gift of renewed life is never optimal, especially in a game in which the Leafs carved out two separate two-goal leads. The Panthers are known around here as the Comeback Cats for a reason.
While it might make sense to see such a furious rally as a dramatic turning point, history suggests such comebacks are more often one-off blips. That makes sense. There’s usually a reason a team requires an improbable comeback to avoid falling into a 3-0 hole: Their opponent is really good.
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Dave Feschuk is a Toronto-based sports columnist for the Star.
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