Panthers Star Reveals Turning Point Against the Maple Leafs in the Playoffs
Photo credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Florida Panthers forward Anton Lundell revealed that he believes if the Maple Leafs had won Game 3 in the second round; things may have gone drastically different.
While the Florida Panthers enjoy their second straight Stanley Cup, it wasn't the easiest road to get there, though they had enough firepower and some pretty clutch performances in order to seal the deal.
They are going to look for a three-peat this season, and while they may be without Matthew Tkachuk for a good chunk of time, they have enough stars to weather the storm and keep them competitive in the Atlantic.
However, things could have been a lot different according to Anton Lundell. The Panthers forward was a guest on the 32 Thoughts Podcast during the NHL's European Media Tour in Italy and talked about his feelings on the Panthers' second Cup.
The Exact Moment That Shifted the Panthers-Leafs Series
But when the topic of the second round came up, Lundell admitted that if Toronto had gotten that stranglehold on the series; they may have crushed Florida's hopes:
Obviously, they were such a good team, like, it was a hard series. I mean, they were up in Game 3, 3-1 in the second or something, and when we won that game, that was the game-changer.
We were like, 'Okay, now it's our time to press the gas, now we go.' But I got to say, if we were to lose that game, it could've been a different series for sure.
We were like, 'Okay, now it's our time to press the gas, now we go.' But I got to say, if we were to lose that game, it could've been a different series for sure.
Toronto was up 3-1 with 16:47 to go in the second period but let up three unanswered goals before Morgan Rielly tied the game in the third. It was Brad Marchand who crushed Toronto's hopes at the end of it all though.
The Game That Gave Florida All the Confidence
Lundell also revealed that the Panthers were still confident in their ability to win and had the attitude that no matter what; they could get it done any night of the week:
I think there was always a little pressure, but I got to say, somehow we were so confident that we were going to turn the series over because we felt like in every game, we were the better team, but we lost. So we believed that in seven games, we should be able to win four.
If you're facing a team with the mentality that they can be down three or more goals but are so confident that it's just a roadblock as opposed to a mountainous obstacle; that's dangerous.
It's less about Florida being cocky and more about them being confident in their group as a whole, where people pick up the slack when needed, where time is valuable and every second counts.
That's what builds championship teams, and regardless of their star power they got a lot of help from role players like Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen, and Even Rodrigues; so you can't ever count them out.
Give credit to Lundell and the Panthers for their ability to be a force up and down the lineup, and it just goes to show the Maple Leafs: You need to seal the deal, or you're going to get burned.
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