BROKE SERVE: Panthers Embarrass Leafs with Game 5 Rout in Toronto

For the Florida Panthers to beat the Maple Leafs in this second-round playoff series, they would have to break serve and win at least one game in Toronto.

After losing the first two games in Toronto, that was not going to come easy.

Only the Panthers certainly made it look that way.

Much like Florida’s win at home on Sunday, the Panthers dominated the Leafs — the difference, this time, it was reflected on the scoreboard.

The Panthers scored three in the second leading to boos from the home crowd as the Panthers ran away with a 6-1 win in Game 5.

Florida leads the best-of-7 series 3-2 with Game 6 back in the swampy confines of Sunrise on Friday night.

The Leafs, who led the series 2-0 and had a two-goal lead in the second period of Game 3, are on the verge of elimination.

Sergei Bobrovsky was terrific again Wednesday, making 30 saves and coming within 66 seconds of pitching his second straight shutout.

Aaron Ekblad got the scoring started with 5:22 left in the first, and Bobrovsky made it stand up.

Dmitry Kulikov, Jesper Boqvist, and Niko Mikkola scored in Florida’s 3-run second to give the Panthers a commanding 4-0 lead going into the third.

A.J. Greer scored at 6:23 of the third to make it 5-0, chasing Woll from the game — and sending large numbers of Toronto fans to the exits.

“We didn’t give them much reason to stick around,” Auston Matthews said.

Some even tossed a few jerseys onto the ice in disgust — including at least one Matthews’ sweater.

GAME 5: PANTHERS @ MAPLE LEAFS

• When a best-of-7 series is tied 2-2, the winner of Game 5 holds an all-time series record of 237-62 (.793).
• Greer became the 17th Florida player to score this postseason — the first time a team has had that many individual scorers since the 1993 Kings (17).
• Bobrovsky made 23 saves in Game 4 and was trying to become the first goaltender in franchise history with consecutive playoff shutouts.
• The longest shutout sequence by a Panthers is goaltender was 141:31 by John Vanbiesbrouck in Games 3-4 of the 1996 Stanley Cup Final. Bobrovsky now has the record at 143:25.
• The Panthers have 10 goals by defensemen this postseason, which leads all teams. During their championship run in 2024, Florida got 12 such goals.

PANTHERS / MAPLE LEAFS SCORING

• Panthers 1, Leafs 0 (14:38 1st): The Leafs cannot clear the puck out of the offensive zone and Aaron Ekblad cashes in with a wrist shot from the right circle off a tip pass from Sam Reinhart.
• Panthers 2, Leafs 0 (6:08 2nd): Dmitry Kulikov one-times a shot from the point that hits the stick of Scott Laughton and zips past Joseph Woll.
• Panthers 3, Leafs 0 (10:05 2nd): Jesper Boqvist gets his first goal since Jan. 25 and his second point in this game, crashing the net and knocking home a cross-ice pass from Reinhart.
• Panthers 4, Leafs 0 (14:01 2nd): Niko Mikkola drills one from the left circle and simple burns Woll.
• Panthers 5, Leafs 0 (6:23 3rd): A.J. Greer chases Woll from the game, finding a loose puck in front and popping in off the goalies’ glove.
• Panthers 6, Leafs 0 (9:10 3rd PP): Sam Bennett gets in on the action, scoring from the slot. It’s Bennett’s sixth of the playoffs.
• Panthers 6, Leafs 1 (18:54 3rd): Nick Robertson snaps Sergei Bobrovsky’s shutout streak.

FHN’S 3 STARS OF GAME 5

• 1. Sergei Bobrovsky, Florida
• 2. Jesper Boqvist, Florida
• 3. Sam Reinhart, Florida

2025 NHL STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS: GAME 6

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS @ FLORIDA PANTHERS 

Panthers Lead Best-of-7 Series 3-2

• When: Friday, TBA
• Where: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise
• National TV: TNT/truTV
• National Streaming: MAX
• Radio: WQAM 560-AM; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
• Series Schedule — Game 1: @Toronto 5, Florida 4; Game 2: @Toronto 4, Panthers 3; Game 3: @Florida 5, Toronto 4 (OT); Game 4: @Florida 2, Toronto 0; Game 5: Wednesday @Toronto; Game 6: Friday @Florida TBA (TNT/truTV); Game 7*: Sunday May 18 @Toronto TBA (TNT/truTV).
• How They Got Here: Toronto d. Ottawa 4-2; Florida d. Tampa Bay 4-1
• All-time Postseason: Panthers d. Toronto 4-1 (2023 ECS)