Paul Maurice Fires Up Brad Marchand Ahead of Game 7 Showdown with Maple Leafs

Sunday night will feature one of the biggest games in the history of both the Florida Panthers and the Toronto Maple Leafs, a Game 7 to determine the winner of the second round and a berth in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Panthers were unsuccessful in their attempt to eliminate the Leafs in Game 6, falling 2-0 on home ice in Florida and being forced to return to Toronto for Sunday's showdown.

Panthers coach Paul Maurice had a particular message of motivation for forward Brad Marchand, who is set to play in his 13th career Game 7.

Marchand has already accumulated a 7-5 record in his career playing in Game 7, including a handful of wins over the Maple Leafs while with the divisional foe Boston Bruins.

In the event of a Panthers win, Marchand would tie a record for the most Game 7 wins by an NHL forward in League history.

Last spring, he and the Bruins broke the hearts of Maple Leafs fans everywhere with a thrilling 2-1 OT win in Boston over Toronto, propelling them to the second round.

There have also been heartbreaks for Marchand in his career, dropping Game 7's to the Panthers in 2023 as well as the St. Louis Blues in the 2019 Stanley Cup Final.

Perhaps the greatest Game 7 of Marchand's career took place in the 2011 Stanley Cup Final in which he scored 2 goals against the Vancouver Canucks, helping the Bruins to their 1st championship in over 30 years.