Maple Leafs HC Craig Berube brushes off Panthers' physical play ahead of Round 2 - “That’s playoffs”

Craig Berube and the Toronto Maple Leafs avoided disaster in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

After holding a 3-0 series lead, two consecutive losses sparked mass concern, and pressure mounted heading into Game 6. While it wasn't their best performance, the Maple Leafs gutted out a 4-2 win to secure a six-game series victory over the Ottawa Senators.

Their reward for advancing to the second round is a matchup with the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. The Panthers dismantled a strong Tampa Bay Lightning team in five games during their first-round series and are proving once again to be an extremely tough out.

The Panthers are known for their combination of grit and skill, unlike any other team in the league. Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube was asked how he feels about the potential for a nastier series in Round 2. Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun shared his response on X (formerly Twitter).

"I'm very comfortable," Berube said. "I don't feel worried about it at all. Our team is … they’re ready for it. They understand it. That's playoffs. It’s going to be hard, and there's going to be hits, and you got to get up and play."

Craig Berube has enjoyed a successful first season behind the bench thus far in Toronto. He has three years remaining on the four-year contract signed with the Maple Leafs last offseason.

Craig Berube and the Maple Leafs want more than just a first-round win

While eliminating the rival Ottawa Senators in the opening round was nice, Craig Berube and the Toronto Maple Leafs have loftier goals.

Terry Koshan shared more of Berube's comments on X.

"I don't know about satisfied," the coach said. "We're happy we won; you’re supposed to be happy you won. It's not easy to win a series, and the guys should be happy they won the series, but now we've moved on, and we have to get prepared for Florida."

Florida will be a tough test for Toronto, having lost three of their four regular-season matchups in 2024-25, outscored by a combined 13-7 margin.

The Maple Leafs will begin this highly anticipated second-round series against the Florida Panthers at home in Game 1 on Monday night. The puck drops at 8 p.m. EST at Scotiabank Arena.