Coach Sheldon Keefe’s Toronto Maple Leafs began their series with the Florida Panthers at Scotiabank Arena with designs on jumping out to a commanding lead, but now find themselves down 2-0 heading to South Florida after a shocking Game 2 loss.
After the team’s first playoff series win in 19 years against the Tampa Bay Lightning in round one, expectations were high heading into the matchup.
Keefe’s team had a 2-0 lead after the first period, paced by goals from Ryan O’Reilly and Alexander Kerfoot. Leafs fans were fired up by the opening scores.
Kerfoot has the Leafs on top early. pic.twitter.com/DbqjcPRIOY
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 4, 2023
O’Reilly found the back of the net on the power play shortly after Kerfoot’s opener.
Ryan O’Reilly cashes in on the power-play. pic.twitter.com/c6pA0Anb1G
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 4, 2023
That’s when the Panthers, led by Matthew Tkachuk, came roaring back with three consecutive goals to complete a wild, franchise record-setting comeback.
As the Leafs faltered in their last-ditch third period comeback efforts, the reality set in: Toronto’s chances of winning the series had taken a dramatic hit. Keefe summed up what happened in two words that may sound familiar to Maple Leafs fans across Canada and beyond.
“Disappointing, baffling,” Keefe said according to a tweet from Senior NHL columnist Pierre LeBrun of The Atlantic.
The Leafs outshot the Panthers 37-29 on the evening, but were kept off the scoreboard after the first stanza by goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, which led to an emotionally charged postgame take from Leafs goalie Illya Samsonov.
Samsonov has tallied a .894 saves percentage across seven starts thus far, third-worst in the NHL during the playoffs. Right winger Mitch Marner leads the Leafs in playoff scoring, with 12 points including 10 assists.
Keefe’s team will head to south Florida for Game 3 on Wednesday, in what is expected to be a raucous environment at the FLA Live Arena.
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