Max Pacioretty declares war ahead of Game 7 on Sunday.

Both the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers have put everything on the line through 6 games in their second round series in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, and now it will all come down to one final game at Scotiabank Arena on Sunday evening.

Most will probably give the edge in experience in this type of scenario to the Florida Panthers and rightfully so, they did after all win a Stanley Cup championship in a Game 7 scenario by defeating the Edmonton Oilers who had at that point won 3 straight games, but the Maple Leafs do have some experienced veterans of their own in the mix.

One could easily point to goaltender Anthony Stolarz and forward Steven Lorentz who were a part of that very same Florida Panthers championship roster but Stolarz been out of the lineup due to injury. Lorentz and Stolarz aren't the only players to have been there before however with the Maple Leafs also boasting another Stanley Cup winning veteran in the form of Max Pacioretty.

Pacioretty, who scored a huge goal in Game 6 to cement the Maple Leafs 2-0 lead in the third period, made it clear that he is prepared for everything when it comes to Game 7. When Pacioretty spoke to the media following Game 6 Pacioretty was asked about his feelings on Game 7 and the 36 year old was of two minds. The veteran National Hockey League forward was clearly excited at the prospect, but also admitted that he is prepared for what a game with those kind of stakes will mean when the Panthers and Maple Leafs collide in Toronto.

"It's fun, it's a lot of fun," said Pacioretty. "I can't wait.... we're going to war."

Knowing the way the Panthers tend to play I suspect that they are viewing Game 7 through that same lens, an all out war between these two teams, and I for one can't wait until Sunday.