The Florida Panthers Put The Leafs In A Spliff!

Let’s be honest: we all saw this coming. There are teams that show up when the lights are brightest and then there are teams that fold. The Florida Panthers? We show up. We win big games. We thrive in Game 7s. The Toronto Maple Leafs? They don’t. We’re undefeated in Game 7s, they’re 0-8. That’s not a coincidence. That’s the difference between men and boys.

Some teams just have that killer instinct. Others pretend they do. The Maple Leafs, year after year, prove they simply don’t. My heart genuinely goes out to the real Leafs fans out there. I know what it’s like to invest emotionally in a team every season, every game, only to be let down in the most soul crushing way. That kind of heartbreak is brutal, and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone who truly bleeds for their team.

But with that said… I will dance on Biz’s grave.

I’m sure Biz doesn’t even care that they lost. The Leafs just got smashed 6–1, and he probably shrugged it off, fired up Raya, matched with some absolute rocket, and threw on an Oilers jersey after the fact. We didn’t just beat Toronto, we blew the brakes off them. That wasn’t a hockey game, it was a public execution. You could see the souls of Leafs fans leave their body. Watching them walk out of their stadium with their head down and tail tucked was poetic. Because it’s no longer their sport, the sport of hockey now belongs to Florida. 

Usually, Game 7s are stressful, nail-biting, edge of your seat, heart racing kind of nights. You pace the room, clench your fists, and live or die with every shot on net. But last night? That wasn’t the case. From the very first puck drop, you could feel it, we had them. The moment we scored the opening goal, the game was essentially over. You could see it in their body language, the doubt, the dread, the pressure, the collapse. Toronto had been clinging to hope after their Game 6 win, but that was all it was, fake hope.

It’s like rewatching Revenge of the Sith and hoping just maybe Anakin won’t turn to the dark side this time. But he always does. That’s the Leafs. Every year, they build up expectations, reel in their fans, and then shatter everything when it matters most.

Once that first goal went in, all the phony optimism died. Every goal we scored after that wasn’t just padding the lead, it was shoveling dirt onto the grave. The Leafs gave everything they had this series, and I’ll give them credit for that. It was hard fought, it was physical, it was emotional. 

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But when it came down to a winner takes all moment, we all knew which team would rise and which one would fall.

We’re the reigning, defending Stanley Cup champions. We’re the Florida Panthers. Who you want your hockey team to be, we are. And don’t ever forget that.