Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand defended the Toronto Maple Leafs against early-season criticism, saying it’s premature to count them out of playoff contention.
“What are we, 25 games in? If you think that your playoff dreams are done 25 games in, you’ve got bigger problems,” Marchand said Monday.
“I know they don’t think that in the room. Obviously, with the media attention and the fan support they have in Toronto, things get blown way out of proportion up there. They definitely don’t think that in the room. What are they, four points out of a playoff spot?”
The comments came ahead of Tuesday’s matchup between the Panthers and Maple Leafs.
It’s the first meeting since Florida eliminated Toronto in the second round of last year’s playoffs.
The Maple Leafs sit last in the Eastern Conference with an 11-11-3 record through 25 games. They’re still within striking distance of a playoff berth despite their struggles.
Toronto holds the NHL’s longest active postseason streak at nine campaigns.
The defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers haven’t performed much better than the Maple Leafs this season. Florida sits tied with Toronto on 25 points but ranks one spot higher with a 12-11-1 record.
“Obviously, we’re two teams that should both be doing a little bit better than we are, and you’re looking to build your game,” Marchand said.
“They’re looking to do the same. Just seems like the intensity in these games always rises a little bit, so it should be a good one. Most importantly, the points are huge right now. You can’t take a game off.”
Marchand leads the Panthers in scoring with 15 goals and 27 points through 23 games.
He’s helped eliminate the Maple Leafs in the playoffs in consecutive years. Last season with Florida and the year prior with the Boston Bruins.
Both teams are looking to turn their seasons around as they battle for playoff positioning in a competitive Eastern Conference.
