Two Maple Leafs Forwards Officially Replaced for Game 5 in Toronto vs. Panthers

All eyes are going to be focused on Toronto and Florida's tilt on Wednesday night. A game filled with tension, animosity and a potential for fireworks is no doubt going to be an exciting watch for fans, but a stressful game for those involved.

Craig Berube was to shake the lineup a bit, and the face that Toronto is facing a desperate situation of sorts means a change is downright necessary.

So with that being said, what changes were made?

Pontus Holmberg and Calle Jarnkrok are out; Nick Robertson and David Kampf are in.

It's a huge change that could be the spark Toronto needs in order to make sure they walk away with a 3-2 series lead heading back to Florida.

Robertson hasn't played since Game 2 against Ottawa where he was benched after taking a very egregious penalty.

Kampf has yet to play in the postseason, but if often seen skating with the team at their various practices, and is always ready to go.

It's a change that comes with a lot of criticism, and now because of the move itself but that it wasn't made sooner.

While Bobby McMann was certainly also a candidate to be benched, Berube still believes in him so hopefully he breaks through.

It's going to also be interesting to see how Robertson adjusts to being back in the lineup, not having played in weeks but still equalling the point total of both McMann, Holmberg and Jarnkrok.

Plus he's historically been known to come off a scratch and perform well, and Toronto will no doubt hope that he's ready to come out flying.

Holmberg did have his upside though, he ends up drawing a lot of penalties and is willing to put his body on the line for the sake of helping Toronto get an advantage.

Jarnkrok though hasn't scored since Game 1 against Tampa in Round One back in 2023; a streak of over 20 games and he hasn't done much else; it was time for him to get out.

Kampf will no doubt be tasked with shutting down the potent Panthers lineup and could very well be used to give Auston Matthews a huge break defensively and help him focus on putting the puck in the net.

He did have 13 points in 59 games (5G, 8A) though did miss 23 games with injury.

A lot has to be said about Craig Berube sticking with what worked for so long, but with games getting more important, he can't afford to spin his wheels.

The pressure's on for Nick Robertson and David Kampf. Let's hope they dont make Berube regret changing his usual strategy.