Toronto Maple Leafs take a step forward in the postseason and waiting is defending champion Florida

TORONTO AP Is this Toronto Maple Leafs association different Ottawa forward David Perron had just tied Event with a third-period goal from below the goal line off the back of netminder Anthony Stolarz to send the home crowd into a frenzy Instead of folding as so multiple Maple Leafs teams have in new memory Max Pacioretty scored the winner with left in regulation as Toronto beat Ottawa - to take the best-of-seven Battle of Ontario in six games These Leafs have looked different the greater part of this season A different power A different feel Calm cool composed And off to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs with a rugged second-round opponent waiting The defending champion Florida Panthers William Nylander with two goals and an assist and Auston Matthews provided the rest of the offense for the Leafs who led the series - before their provincial rival won two straight to put pressure on a star-studded roster fighting demons of failures past Pacioretty added an assist for a two-point night Nothing else really matters revealed Matthews Toronto s captain The outside stuff doesn t really matter It s about the guys that are in our room and the belief in one another doing it for one another This one feels good Stolarz made saves as Toronto improved to - in likely series-clinching games since an era led by Matthews Nylander and Mitch Marner and advanced in the postseason for just the second time in more than two decades We re playing for each other commented Stolarz who was on the Florida roster during last year s title run Everyone knows their role everyone knows their job We have the confidence The Panthers are waiting after beating cross-state rival Tampa Bay Lightning in five games The Panthers went - - against the Maple Leafs during the regular season and outscoring Toronto - overall with Sergei Bobrovsky in net each time and posting a goals-against average and save percentage Steamrolled by the Panthers in the second round two years ago the Leafs have added more grit and determination to the roster They will need every ounce of it They have a lot of good pieces declared Toronto coach Craig Berube They re hard to play against Matthew Tkachuk and fellow forward Sam Bennett make a habit of wreaking havoc on opposing goaltenders while Florida also added winger Brad Marchand a Toronto nemesis from playoffs past from the Boston Bruins ahead of the bargain deadline It s going to be another hard series Matthews explained We ve definitely got to reset do our homework rest up and go in there with confidence And go in there with certain pushback Source