First Period

Florida forechecked their way to a dominant period. The Leafs struggled more than usual to exit the zone. There were a few occasions where no one looked to be thinking fast. Beyond that, the Leafs weren't making clean passes, winning the battles for the puck or keeping it for long once they had it.

This looked like something you'd see in a bad film about the loner kid who gets bullied:

This was Joe Woll getting beat clean.

This was Joe Woll at his best:

Otherwise the Leafs were running around trying to get something going, particularly after the goal. Two charts to illustrate this:

Yeaaaah, that's not good. After one it was 1-0 Florida.

Second Period

Mitch Marner started this period with a good chance.

John Tavares is so good he can tip it off someone else.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson was called for a very gentle high stick. Florida had a good power play and they followed up with a session of denying access through the neutral zone.

Zone exit, the puck comes back behind the blue line, zone exit, the puck comes back over and over. Florida didn't have the puck either, but the Leafs were just spinning.

Sergei Bobrovsky took a puck over glass penalty, and while the Leafs had a good power play at times, they also gave the puck away to Brad Marchand twice. Woll had it covered.

Even when the Leafs have the puck, it's like Florida has the puck. The Leafs definitely had more time with it this period, but they rarely get near the Panthers' net in a meaningful way.

The final seconds required Woll to be the best player on the ice.

After two it was one-all.

Auston Matthews was getting absolutely buried by the Barkov line. He might just need another forechecker for a matchup like that, not Mitch Marner.

On the other hand, his efforts mean the Tavares line was a lot closer to even with their main matchup in a game where the Leafs were at 38% Corsi thus far. Eventually that will net you a goal. Maybe more than one.

Nothing near the net.

Third Period

Florida scored just over one minute in on a terrible misplay by Morgan Rielly.

Seth Jones took a penalty for being less good than Matt Knies. No shots from the Leafs, no giveaways to Marchand. Leafs can't turn in too many flaccid power plays in the playoffs.

Leafs had three Corsi at the ten minute mark. Not much to say about a game they're holding onto by their fingernails.

Matthews then Knies with great chances on a Florida defensive breakdown. No joy, though.

Joe Woll was pulled with just over two minutes to go.

Matthews lost the puck to Barkov and Mitch Marner made one save on Marchand, but didn't get the next one on Carter Verhaeghe.

Final score was 3-1 Florida. No charts. It's all the same as from the second period.

Joe Woll the best Leafs player.

Next game is tomorrow vs the Lightning.

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