Nothing seems to be going the way of the Florida Panthers at the moment. Earlier this week, they suffered two heartbreaking defeats against the Maple Leafs in Round 2 of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. Despite giving it their all, they lost some crucial moments in the game to end up on the losing side. With the odds stacked against them, the Panthers face a mammoth task of defending their Stanley Cup title. However, their captain, Aleksander Barkov, was still hopeful about a turnaround.
Ahead of Game 3 against the Maple Leafs, Barkov was involved in a pre-game interview, in which he explained why his team can make a strong comeback in the series. He said, “It’s not the most ideal thing to be down 2-0, but I think the mood is good. We’re happy to be back home. We’re happy to play in front of our fans. I’m really excited for tonight’s challenge.”
Sasha Barkov: “It’s not the most ideal thing to be down 2-0, but I think the mood is good. We’re happy to be back home. We’re happy to play in front of our fans. I’m really excited for tonight’s challenge.” pic.twitter.com/8j0wtvtT9P
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) May 9, 2025
Despite a couple of close defeats, the mood is still positive in the Panthers’ camp. Barkov wasn’t the first player to express that the team can still come back and progress through to the semifinals. Earlier, Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad said, “There’s a decision to be made in the room to understand that teams are going to win games at home, and we’re fine, there’s no panic in our group. We’re well-equipped to handle this situation with veteran leadership. A lot of guys have been in this situation. So, we’re not worried. It’s playoff hockey. Home-ice advantage, they won two at home, so what?’’
After defeating the Lightning in the Battle of Florida, the Panthers entered the second round brimming with confidence. However, they suffered back-to-back close defeats against the Maple Leafs, losing the first game 5-4 and the second one 4-3 to leave themselves in a difficult situation. Nonetheless, like the Panthers players, their head coach, Paul Maurice, was also confident about a good showing in the upcoming games.
Paul Maurice feels confident about being back on the home turf
Maurice has been crucial to the Panthers team, having guided them to the Stanley Cup title last season. He is looking to become one of the rare coaches to have won back-to-back Stanley Cups, if the Panthers go on to win the Stanley Cup this year. Despite trailing the Maple Leafs 0-2 in the series, the Panthers’ coach is confident about his team’s chances going ahead.
Ahead of Game 3, he revealed, “Well, we’ve been a good home team this year for sure. You get the positive feedback of good things that you do. We had a 2-on-1 with Matthew Tkachuk early in (Game 2) and he almost finds a hole, so you get a completely different review. You start feeling better about yourself and better about your game just on that, so it will be good to get home.”
Even as the Panthers have shown glimpses of their best in the last two games, they need to keep their calm and capture the crunch moments. However, it won’t be a cakewalk against a team like the Maple Leafs, who are full of confidence after two sensational wins.
The post Florida Captain Echoes Bold Message From Panthers Teammate as Playoffs Tension Mounts appeared first on EssentiallySports.