FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — With the series tied at two, the Florida Panthers gathered for one last practice ahead of Wednesday's pivotal Game 5 showdown between the Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Panthers' practice was smooth and calm, as they are prepared for the matchup. The team believes this series will be determined by who is the toughest.
WATCH: Panthers prep for Game 5
After falling 0-2 in the series, the Florida Panthers battled back and evened things against the Maple Leafs.
The Cats dominated Game 4 with timely goals and overwhelmed the Leafs with physicality.
They are traveling to Toronto on Wednesday night, and the defending champs have a message.
"We need to steal one from them in their building," said Niko Mikkola, Panthers defenseman.
As it stands, the home team has won every game in this series.
However, after dominating Game 4, Panthers forward Anton Lundell says the ups and downs make playoff hockey fun.
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"We hit, they hit, it's part of the game. It's great to play playoff hockey whenever it's at the biggest, that's where we like to play," said Anton Lundell, Panthers center.
Fans are excited about the new life for the Panthers in this series, and Head Coach Paul Maurice believes his guys have what it takes to win the series.
However, he says his guys must remember to control the early portions of the games.
"Getting through the first 35 seconds without giving up a goal has a pretty strong impact on how you feel about the game. The confidence is built in each game or lost in each game. You're constantly trying to feel good about yourself, that's a tough way to start two of those three games," said Maurice.
This series is now a best-of-three series, meaning whoever can win two games first will advance. The Cats are well aware of this.
"It's a big game for both teams, and we want to be ready and play our best. At the same time, we got to go out there and enjoy it," said Lundell.
