The Toronto Maple Leafs have gone from being in control of their playoff series against the Florida Panthers to facing elimination. On Wednesday night, the Panthers delivered a decisive 6-1 victory, taking a 3-2 lead in their second-round matchup.
Goalkeeper Sergei Bobrovsky played a pivotal role for Florida, making 31 saves throughout the game. The Panthers showcased an impressive offensive performance, with goals coming from Jesper Boqvist, Aaron Ekblad, Dmitry Kulikov, Niko Mikkola, A.J. Greer, and Sam Bennett. Meanwhile, Sam Reinhart and Nate Schmidt each contributed with two assists. Bobrovsky’s notable shutout streak of 143 minutes and 25 seconds was broken late in the game, just as Ekblad also secured an assist for a two-point night.
In contrast, the Maple Leafs struggled defensively, with Joseph Woll starting in goal. He faced 25 shots but allowed five goals before being replaced by Matt Murray, who made six saves in relief. The only bright spot for Toronto came from Nick Robertson, who scored a consolation goal late in the game.
The series now shifts to Game 6, which will take place on Friday night at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida. Should a Game 7 be necessary, it would occur at Scotiabank Arena on Sunday.
From the outset, the Panthers established dominance in the first period, maintaining territorial control and outshooting the Leafs. After a series of puck battles, Florida broke through the Leafs’ defense at 14:38, with Ekblad scoring his second goal of the playoffs. Despite some early saves from Woll, including a glove stop against a William Nylander breakaway, the Leafs struggled to generate offensive momentum.
The second period saw Florida extend its lead to 2-0 at 6:08 when Kulikov scored with a shot that deflected off Scott Laughton’s stick. Shortly thereafter, Mitch Marner attempted a risky pass that was intercepted, allowing Reinhart to feed Boqvist. Boqvist capitalized on the mistake, scoring his first goal since January 25 to bring the score to 3-0 at 10:05.
The Panthers continued their onslaught, with Mikkola blasting in a goal at 14:01. This left the Leafs and their fans stunned as the team faced a significant deficit. In response, Toronto head coach Craig Berube sent his fourth line out to start the third period—a signal that the remaining star players, including Marner, Nylander, Auston Matthews, and John Tavares, needed to step up their game.
Toronto received an early power play in the third period, but their efforts were disjointed and failed to threaten Bobrovsky. At the other end, Matthew Tkachuk nearly added to the score with a shot that hit the post. The Panthers extended their lead to 5-0 with Greer’s goal at 6:23, prompting some fans to leave the arena early. One particularly frustrated fan even threw a Matthews jersey onto the ice.
Murray then came in as relief goaltender but quickly allowed a sixth goal to Bennett during a power play at 9:09. The beleaguered Maple Leafs finally managed to get on the board with Robertson's goal, which came with just 66 seconds left in regulation, bringing the final score to 6-1.
With this latest defeat, the Maple Leafs find themselves in a precarious position as they head into Game 6, facing pressure to overcome their recent struggles and avoid elimination from the playoffs.
