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# Round 2, Game 5 Preview: Back at home
- URL: https://www.pensionplanpuppets.com/round-2-game-5-preview-back-at-home/
- Published: 2025-05-14T15:57:59.000Z
- Updated: 2025-05-14T16:38:11.000Z
- Description: Break the tie, Leafs.
- Author: Cathy Squires
- Tags: Game Coverage, Maple Leafs Playoffs

### Florida Panthers @ Toronto Maple Leafs  
07:00 PM at Scotiabank Arena  
Watch on: ESPN, CBC, SN, TVAS

### 

Series tied at two-all.

### Them

The Panthers had a full morning skate and Evan Rodriques did participate, but not in line rushes. I'm not sure how hard I buy Boqvist going from the pressbox to the top line, but it wouldn't be the first time. 

Paul Maurice confirmed the switch. 

#### Lines

[Jordan McPherson from morning skate](https://x.com/J%5FMcPherson1126/status/1922677213125644628?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)

Jesper Boqvist - Aleksander Barkov - Sam Reinhart  
Carter Verhaeghe - Sam Bennett - Matthew Tkachuk  
Eetu Luostarinen - Anton Lundell - Brad Marchand  
A.J. Greer - Tomas Nosek - Jonah Gadjovich

Gustav Forsling - Aaron Ekblad  
Niko Mikkola - Seth Jones  
Nate Schmidt - Dmitry Kulikov

Sergei Bobrovsky  
Vitek Vanecek

### Us

> David Kampf not on the ice at Leafs optional skate  
>  
> Scratches almost always skate   
>  
> Hasn’t played since April 2 [@TSN\_Sports](https://twitter.com/TSN%5FSports?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)
> 
> — Mark Masters (@markhmasters) [May 14, 2025](https://twitter.com/markhmasters/status/1922660580919320717?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)

> Black aces usually do extra work at the end of morning skates in the playoffs.  
>  
> Today, the Leafs pulled everyone — save for Dennis Hildeby — off quickly.  
>  
> Suggests the possibility of lineup changes in Game 5.
> 
> — Jonas Siegel (@jonassiegel) [May 14, 2025](https://twitter.com/jonassiegel/status/1922664490052592119?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)

Oliver Ekman-Larsson did not participate yesterday, but he was reported to be on the ice briefly this morning. 

> Oliver Ekman-Larsson missed practice due to illness yesterday   
>  
> Matt Murray didn't dress in Game 3 because he was sick   
>  
> Craig Berube says there's no bug in the room & these have been one-off situations  
>  
> "Nothing's going around" [@TSN\_Sports](https://twitter.com/TSN%5FSports?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)
> 
> — Mark Masters (@markhmasters) [May 14, 2025](https://twitter.com/markhmasters/status/1922668707706257471?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=pensionplanpuppets.com)

Yesterday's practice saw the lines listed below, with David Kämpf skating on a fifth line with Nick Robertson and Ryan Reaves. It appeared then that no changes would be made. 

Who is playing is a game-time decision, per Berube, not related to any injury. I don't expect anything significant, or even at all, to be honest. He is not a change for the sake of change coach. 

#### Lines

David Alter via [Daily Faceoff](https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/toronto-maple-leafs/line-combinations/?ref=pensionplanpuppets.com) from the last game and yesterday's practice formation as well.

Matthew Knies - Auston Matthews - Mitch Marner  
Max Pacioretty - John Tavares - William Nylander  
Steven Lorentz - Scott Laughton - Calle Järnkrok  
Bobby McMann - Max Domi - Pontus Holmberg

Jake McCabe - Chris Tanev  
Morgan Rielly - Brandon Carlo  
Simon Benoit - Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Joe Woll  
Matt Murray

### The Game

This game seems pivotal. And yet, I will not descend into the false narrative of a "must-win" game. It isn't. It's an "I really would like it if they won" game. It's an "it would be way easier to take the series if they won" game. But we are not yet at must and we may never arrive at that place.

I can't watch this series and distill things down to the just one thing so beloved of sports analysis. Sometimes there's one major factor, for sure, but even in those cases, the game is complex, and I like it that way. I'm not looking to simplify it into a just-so story about who wants it more or who found a way to win.

To win, which each team has done twice, you need everyone to play somewhere close to their best, to make the right risk calculations most of the time, and for fortune to favour you with the outcomes to those risk choices that give you the edge. Or in other words, it's supposed to be this hard to win, this hard to predict. 

The only way to win is to play the game. 

Go Leafs Go!