Panthers Winger Brad Marchand Issues Surprising Statement About the Leafs Before Game 6

Game 5 between the Florida Panthers and the Toronto Maple Leafs was one that Mitch Marner simply wanted to "flush down the toilet" and move on from.

The Panthers had their way with the Leafs, hanging 5 goals on Joseph Woll before putting the stamp on the game with their 6th goal over the shoulder of Matt Murray in the 3rd period in a decisive 6-1 win.

Brad Marchand was ejected during the Panthers' win in Toronto, using his trademark mischeivous grin to rub some salt in the wounds of the Maple Leafs' fan base on the way off the ice, likely as a means of letting them know that he still has the Leafs' number, even though he's no longer in Boston.

However, on Friday, Marchand did what nobody would have expected during a pre-Game 6 media availability -- he gave the Maple Leafs a vote of confidence before an elimination game.

It's do-or-die for the Maple Leafs tonight in Sunrise, South Florida. A win forces a final and deciding Game 7 back in Toronto on Sunday. A loss sends them home early again this season, and prolongs a curse that has stood the test of time.

For Marchand and the Panthers, they know that the Leafs are capable of beating them, as they had shown in the first two games of the series. So, perhaps by giving the Leafs the credit they're due, he's leading by example, and showing his new Panthers teammates not to take the Leafs lightly when they're backed into a corner.

Will the Leafs rise to the occasion and force a Game 7? Or, will they begin a very long summer that will be full of monumental changes this year? We'll find out tonight.