Brad Marchand has had his fair share of battles with the Toronto Maple Leafs over the years.

But after two straight losses to them in the second round of the playoffs, he feels something has changed—and his words about Toronto will certainly get Maple Leafs fans dreaming.

Marchand was the face of the Boston Bruins for more than ten years, and during that time, he often clashed with the Maple Leafs. More often than not, he and the Bruins came out on top.

The Maple Leafs have long struggled in the playoffs and haven’t won a Stanley Cup since the 1960s. But now, something seems to have shifted. After eliminating the Ottawa Senators in the first round, the Maple Leafs hold a 2–0 series lead over the Florida Panthers—and Brad Marchand is impressed.

Brad Marchand’s words on Toronto

After Toronto’s second straight win on Wednesday, Brad Marchand said this year’s Leafs feel different—words that will only fuel the hopes of Toronto fans.
“Yeah, absolutely,” Marchand told Sportsnet. “They’re continuing to get better and grow as a group. They brought in a lot of good pieces at the deadline and in the offseason to kind of address their back end. They’re heavy back there. Obviously, their coaching has changed, and their structure is very, very good right now, especially in the D-zone.”

It didn’t come as a surprise to Brad Marchand, though. He and the Panthers knew they were in for a tough challenge—and he’s impressed with Toronto’s efficiency.
“We knew it was going to be a really tough series. We didn’t expect to roll over them by any means,” Marchand said. “… Their top guys are capitalizing on any opportunity, it seems.”

“We have our work cut out. They’re obviously playing really well right now.”