The Florida Panthers have roared back louder! “I think (our team) did a great job,” Sergei Bobrovsky said after becoming the star of the night—saving 31 shots—but the NHL community knows the Panthers did more than that. While the head coach thinks it’s not just about the stats and numbers but the vibe in the locker room that mattered the most in driving the team so far to where they are now, others hold a different point of view.

After all, when it’s about three straight wins to take a command over the 3-2 lead, you should know that what started as a strong showing from the Toronto Maple Leafs now unravels into missed chances and mounting frustration. But what is it that fuels the Panthers’ boost now? Throw back a little to Game 4, and one exact moment didn’t just unfold while shifting the momentum of the game but exposed the heart of Florida’s firepower that earned them a massive 6-1 in Game 5 too. But what exactly?

Talk about a loud one that didn’t just define the spark behind the rise of the Panthers but revealed something deeper. And Nick Kypreos, the former Maple Leafs player himself, talked openly about it in a SportsNet show. “Then Benoit hits Sam Reinhart, who has every reason not to get up and this guy doesn’t miss a beat,” Kypreos said while emphasizing a hit that could have been controversial but turned out to display true sportsmanship! Wait, did he just mock his own team in a way? Probably, yes! Because it happened when Sam Reinhart received a hard hit from the Leafs defenseman Simon Benoit in Game 4. But rather than making a fuss out of the whole situation, Kypreos pointed out exactly how the player didn’t miss any beat to stand up and perhaps resume his play.

In an intense playoff showdown, where such physical plays are commonly expected and hits like that are used as momentum shifters, this became a unique one where Reinhart responded with poise and toughness, thereby elevating the spirit of the whole team. “That hit supposed to get the Leafs going when you are on a Florida bench and you’re a Panther and you see your best player get filled in like that and get up like nothing happened,” the former Maple Leaf star addressed and his response? Well, he called it a classic championship act. “That’s a sign of a champion,” he said. After all, it wasn’t just about a play that demonstrated skills and prowess but also mental toughness and the identity of the Florida Panthers, where they proved that they don’t fold under pressure. Now that’s like some real success in leading the team ahead in such tough competitions, right?

But hey, it wasn’t any soft or casual hit that wouldn’t have caused Reinhart any trouble. Let’s admit, while Reinhart skated upright with the puck near the boards, Benoit tracked him closely and delivered a hard, clean hit that pushed the young player against the boards. And when everyone expected some chaos, boom—it rather turned out that Reinhart simply showed no hesitation but immediately focused back on his game. Almost as if the hit didn’t happen at all! And this was the exact moment that ignited the spark for the Leafs, who later faced a brutal loss of 0-2 to Florida. But here’s another interesting thing. When Kypreos called it a true championship displayed by the Panthers praising their young player, head coach Paul Maurice too had something to reveal about his team’s success. What?

Paul Maurice called the locker room the divine space for the Florida Panthers!

Maurice made it clear. “The culture is good on the players that are in and out of our lineup. They feel a part of it,” he said in a post-match interview about how he has coached the most culturally diverse team ever. After crushing Toronto 6-1 in Game 5—with explosive offense and rock-solid defense—the Panthers proved who they are and the head coach just revealed what really drove this confidence. Not just strategy but the whole culture. But made it very clear, “Coach has nothing to do with that. Coaching has nothing to do with it,” emphasizing how naturally it comes from the players themselves, who shape the locker room vibes. And for Florida? It’s all positive out there because there’s a sense of unity that’s deep, shared, and organic!

After all, what sets the current group apart is the ability to take that foundation and elevate it. “I think it’s the culturally deepest team that we’ve had,” Maurice made it loud and clear. Because this hasn’t just gotten the players together but made everyone, right from the top to bottom, feel they are valued and trusted. And hey, when this happens, the score itself speaks on behalf, right? Now that the Florida Panthers are leading with giving one chance to the Leafs, who are so near to getting eliminated from the playoff series, isn’t it the environment that’s creating their momentum now? And it’s no longer about who’s on the ice but about who’s with the team every step of the way.

Be it Reinhart’s unshakable response to a brutal hit that lit a quiet fire or Coach Maurice’s insight into a locker room that breathes unity and belonging, everything regarding the Panthers has become somewhat clear now. They are the real power that lies not only in talent but in connection. Now with them moving ahead in Game 6 with a chance to close out the series, it’s the Leafs on the other side who will need more than adjustments. Because it’s do or die coming next!