Toronto Maple Leafs vs Florida Panthers Game 4: Preview, lines, predictions, 2023 NHL Playoffs

The Toronto Maple Leafs are on the verge of being swept by the Florida Panthers in the second round of the 2023 NHL Playoffs. The Panthers lead 3-0 heading into tonight's Game 4 at the FLA Live Arena in Sunshine, Florida.

If the Panthers beat the Leafs tonight, they will reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 27 years. This will also be the first time in franchise history that the Florida Panthers will have swept a team in the postseason.

They were on the receiving end of a clean sweep when the Colorado Avalanche beat them in the 1996 Stanely Cup Finals.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have been in this situation before. They came back from being 3-0 against the Detroit Red Wings in the 1942 Stanley Cup Finals. A lot has changed since then, but the Leafs can become the only team to come back from being down 3-0, twice in franchise history.

Florida Panthers v Toronto Maple Leafs - Game Two

Toronto Maple Leafs will need two things today, they need Joseph Woll to step up and their 'Core Four' to contribute on the front lines. Woll is 9-2-1 with a 2.38 GAA, .924 SV% and one shutout in 11 NHL regular-season games and has appeared in two games this postseason, to replace Samsonov.

Ilya Samsonov is out for Game 4 after sustaining an upper-body injury last game, so it all falls on Joseph Woll to not let his team get swept.

Out of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares and William Nylander, no one has really stepped up their game in this series so far. The Panthers have shut them down in all three games and will look to do the same again tonight.

Toronto Maple Leafs projected lineup

• Jarnkrok - Matthews - Nylander
• Kerfoot - Tavares - Marner
• Bunting - O’Reilly - Acciari

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• Brodie - McCabe
• Kampf - Lafferty
• Rielly - Schenn
• Giordano - Holl

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• Samsonov
• Woll

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Florida Panthers projected lineup

• Verhaeghe-Barkov-Duclair
• Luostarinen-Bennett-Tkachuk
• Lomberg-Lundell-Reinhart
• Cousins-Staal-White

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• Forsling-Ekblad
• Staal-Montour
• Maura-Gudas

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• Bobrovsky
• Lyon

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Toronto Maple Leafs vs Florida Panthers: Prediction

The Florida Panthers will sweep the Maple Leafs. The Panthers have too much momentum and can answer back to anything the Leafs throw at them. It's been this way for the past three games and that will not likely change tonight.

Auston Matthews will have a breakout game but the Panthers will just scrap through and win in a close game.

Prediction: Toronto Maple Leafs 2, Florida Panthers 4