Craig Berube, coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, smiled when asked about the Florida Panthers` reputation for being “mean” ahead of their playoff series. Following the team`s final practice before attempting to avenge last year`s elimination, a reporter posed the question about facing such a physical opponent.
“Are they mean?” Berube mused before elaborating. “They play a hard game. They forecheck hard. They`re physical. And they`re in your face the whole game. I don`t necessarily think it`s mean. That`s just their game.”
This simple yet aggressive game plan is the foundation that has propelled Paul Maurice`s Panthers to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals appearances. Their approach involves sending pucks deep into the offensive zone, relentlessly hitting opposing defensemen who retrieve them, and smothering players trying to make outlet passes under pressure. They are also quick to activate defensemen at the blue line to extend time in the offensive zone, aiming to create scoring chances from won battles or simply wear down the opposition.
Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly acknowledged this challenge. “We`re gonna have to talk about [their forecheck]. That`s a big part of their game,” Rielly told reporters. “They`re hard on pucks, and their D are aggressive.” He highlighted that even knowing their opponent`s strategy doesn`t make it easy to counter.
Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk famously stated the team`s mindset is to “play like there`s no puck out there” early in games to establish their physical style and force opponents into mistakes. Sam Reinhart noted that while the Panthers` forecheck is designed to exhaust the opponent, it`s also demanding for Florida players to execute consistently. This taxing style explains why the Panthers might experience more lulls during the regular season compared to a team like the Maple Leafs, and it necessitates rolling all four lines effectively.
Defenseman Seth Jones, who joined Florida recently, is adapting to this system. He explained that the aggressive style relies heavily on trust, with players sticking tightly to their assigned man across the ice, allowing no time or space. If even one player fails to do their job, it creates vulnerabilities. Jones cited this relentless forecheck as the primary reason for their swift five-game victory over Tampa Bay in the previous round, which limited the offensive involvement of Lightning defensemen.
“Their D didn`t get much involved, because we’re hitting them and our forwards are getting up quick. And that allows our D to pinch,” Jones said. “And that’s what really causes our forechecking game to come alive, when their D are fronting pucks and things like that.”
Jones emphasized the system`s consistency across the roster, noting that every line, from top players like Aleksander Barkov down to the fourth line including Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist, and A.J. Greer, is responsible and executes the game plan effectively. This allows the team to maintain the same aggressive approach regardless of who is on the ice, which he considers crucial.
Tristan Blackwood