Brad Marchand just defended the Maple Leafs and pushed back on the panic
Photo credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand is no stranger to the Maple Leafs, but he had a message for anyone thinking of counting the team out early.
With the Toronto Maple Leafs in Florida to take on the Panthers Tuesday night, the team is looking to build off a 7-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins and could move past Florida in the Atlantic Division with a win.
Both teams have been dealing with early-season injury issues, and it's going to be a very intense matchup given last year's Eastern Conference semi-final, and the recent playoff history between the two.
However one person who has a much longer history with the Maple Leafs is forward Brad Marchand, who has always seemingly been a thorn in the side of the Leafs especially come playoff time.
But he has also been courteous several times regarding the team he cheered for as a kid and for all his antics over the years, seems to have a soft spot for Toronto.
What Brad Marchand actually said about the Leafs' season so far
That carried on with his latest comments, as he had a message for all those doubters who believe that Toronto has already lost control of the season.
Speaking to reporters after practice Monday, Marchand was quick to note that the season is still young, and the Maple Leafs are still quite the competitive bunch.
He noted:
If people are thinking they're out of a playoff spot for the season they got to find a new job. With the media attention and the fan support they have things get blown way out of proportion. They're still a good contending team.
It's the second time Marchand has given the team high praise, doing so previously in last year's playoffs. But it's hard to argue against the fact that Toronto is one of the teams who get the brightest spotlight on them.
Marchand's message isn't for the media, it's for the Leafs room
While they aren't at full strength, the Maple Leafs have shown that even though they lack their top defenders, they can still weather the storms that come their way.
But beyond that, the stars have actually shown up. Auston Matthews is slowly starting to gather his confidence, and a recent equipment change could be the catalyst to kicking off his offense.
William Nylander and John Tavares are having exceptional seasons, and in the case of Tavares -- is doing so on a bargain deal plus the emergence of Matthew Knies as a true two-way force has been a pleasant and welcome addition.
We are also seeing the depth starting to actually contribute, which has been a sore spot for the team as of late. Players like Dakota Joshua and Nic Roy are starting to play their style of hockey, and even Easton Cowan and Nick Robertson are contributing.
Toronto can score goals, this much we know. They have 85 goals for and are tied for 5th in the NHL, though it's their defense that has been struggling heavily this year but are more than capable of turning things around.
Which still makes them a dangerous group in Marchand's eyes, and if the rest of the NHL doesn't heed his words, they might be in for a surprise from the Maple Leafs.
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