2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs
Florida Panthers Jumped On Maple Leafs in Pivotal Game 5

When Aaron Ekblad gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead on the Maple Leafs in Game 5, Florida was outshooting Toronto 13-3 at the time.
Toronto coach Craig Berube did not like the way his team started such a pivotal game — and things would not get any better.
The Panthers beat the Maple Leafs 6-1 on Wednesday night and have outscored Toronto 8-1 in the past two games.
Game 6 is Friday at 8 p.m. with the Panthers holding a 3-2 series lead.
Florida is getting scoring from all over its lineup — and Toronto’s biggest stars have been all but silent.
In Florida’s three wins this series, Mitch Marner has been held to one shot on goal.
Auston Matthews has yet to score in 10 playoff games against the Panthers dating to 2023.
William Nylander has been the most effective. He led the league in breakaway goals this season, but has been stopped on breakaways or semi-breakaways in each of the past three games.
Florida saw Niko Mikkola and Dmitry Kulikov get their first goals of this postseason — with Jesper Boqvist and A.J. Greer getting their first-ever playoff goals.
We always knew the Panthers were deep, but these playoffs are just confirming how much so. Boqvist fit in seamlessly, replacing the injured Evan Rodrigues on the top line with Sasha Barkov and Sam Reinhart.
Boqvist ended the game with a goal, an assist and eight hits.
In all, 17 different players have found the net in the playoffs this year.
“[Boqvist] is the kind of a guy that’s scored big goals for us this year,’’ Paul Maurice said. “They weren’t the last goal in a run. Those are the fun stories for our room – when Greer gets one – Gadjovich has one. Those guys work hard and they don’t get in the magazines.”
By the third period, Scotiabank Arena became very quiet, save for a smattering of boos.
Rally towels were put away and empty seats were everywhere. The crowd in Maple Leaf Square outside the arena had thinned.
The frustrations on the ice were apparent.
The Leafs lost their discipline almost from the opening faceoff. Max Domi took four minor penalties and a game misconduct. In all, there were 16 roughing penalties called in the third period, a sure sign of frustration.
When Sergei Bobrovsky’s shutout was broken by Nick Robertson’s first ever playoff goal with 1:06 in the game, the Leafs had gone 143:25 without a goal.
Now the Leafs are facing elimination and will be pressured by the usual cliches and media scrutiny.
The folks in Ontario don’t have to be reminded that the Leafs have not won the Stanley Cup since 1967.
Nor do they need reminding the Leafs have not gotten past the second round since 2002.
The Toronto media can be less than forgiving and will certainly do plenty of reminding.
Berube was clearly unhappy postgame.
He didn’t single out anybody but clearly did not like the penalties.
“Mistakes happen in games,’’ he said, “but it’s the way they happened tonight. That’s disappointing more than anything. We’ll be better next game.”
Maurice, in his typical manner, would not admit that the Panthers had the momentum.
“You would put yourself in a very, very difficult position if you lose the next game,’’ Maurice said.
“I would say we leave the game here. We’re going to have a certain kind of day tomorrow that we’ve had a bunch of times. It won’t be a happier day or a better day than other days on our travel days.”
He said the Leafs “were at least as good as us” in the early minutes of the previous games and he has every expectation it will be that way again.
The Leafs better come to play in Game 6 or it will be a long flight back to Ontario come Saturday.
“You go home, realize that wasn’t close to being good enough,’’ Marner said. “You flush it down the toilet. Everyone has their own way of coping with things and forgetting about things.
“Whatever yours is, just go home and do it. Relax.”
Good luck with that.
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, 8 p.m.
- 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: Panthers 6, Leafs 1; Game 6: Friday @Florida 8 (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)
