Panthers' Brad Marchand sounds the alarm on Maple Leafs 'hungrier' Game 6 bounce-back 

The Florida Panthers have completely flipped the script in their second-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

After dropping the first two games in Toronto, Florida came home in a 2-0 series hole for what became almost a must-win Game 3. They were down early and often in that Game 3, but they clawed their way back, and Brad Marchand sealed the deal in overtime.

The Panthers have not looked back since, winning Games 4 and 5 in decisive fashion, by a combined 8-1 margin. The Maple Leafs have been getting heavily criticized for their recent performances, with much of the fan base already giving up on their team.

Despite that, Brad Marchand knows this series is far from over, and he expects a hungry Toronto team with their season on the line in Game 6. TSN hockey insider Chris Johnston shared his comments on X (formerly Twitter).

"If anything it's going to make them hungrier to have a bounce-back game and prove a lot of people wrong, which is a very dangerous combination," Marchand said.

Brad Marchand is a pending UFA in the final season of the eight-year, $49,000,000 contract signed with the Bruins in 2016.

Everything is on the line for the core of the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 6

Game 6 on Friday night could mark the end of an era in Toronto.

Markham, Ontario native Mitch Marner is a pending UFA, and a second-round loss to Florida would likely result in the "Core 4" and the "Shanaplan" finally being broken up. Many believe it's long overdue, but this time it feels real.

TSN hockey insider Chris Johnston shared the latest on Marner in an article for The Athletic.

"There is absolutely zero reason to believe that he'll be signing another contract in Toronto on or before July 1... There's been a growing sense that the 28-year-old winger wants a fresh start after enduring an avalanche of criticism for his team's repeated playoff shortcomings," Johnston wrote.

It's up to Marner to prove that he doesn't have one foot out the door and wants to win as a Toronto Maple Leaf now and moving forward.

The Maple Leafs will be on the brink of elimination when they take on the Panthers in Game 6 on Friday night in Florida. The puck drops at 8 p.m. EDT at Amerant Bank Arena.