FHN Today: Florida Panthers Take Off, Jets Win Epic Game 7

FORT LAUDERDALE — The Florida Panthers and Maple Leafs will get their second-round playoff series going tonight in Toronto.

It should be one whale of a series.

This is a rematch of the 2023 Eastern Conference semifinals, a series much closer than Florida’s 4-1 series win may indicate.

All but one of those games, an opener that the Panthers won 4-2 fueled by adrenaline after upsetting the Bruins two nights before, were decided by a single goal.

Toronto, despite all of its firepower, only scored two goals on the power play in that 2023 series.

If Florida’s penalty kill can match that number in this series, the Panthers probably win.

Toronto employs five forwards on its power play, with its top five scorers on the top unit.

In the first round win against Ottawa, the Maple Leafs scored six power-play goals; the Panthers gave up two to Jake Guentzel and the Lightning.

“They are really good, super-skilled especially with the five forwards,” Gus Forsling said. “We just want to keep doing our thing out there. We did a really good job against Tampa. We want to keep that rolling. … We have the same mentality whether it’s five forwards or five defensemen out there. We want to put the pressure on them.”

Check out my story on the battle between the Leafs power play and the Panthers kill now at NHL.com.

FLORIDA PANTHERS / FHN

• The ‘Forgotten Man’ of the Florida Panthers is now a not-so-secret weapon. A nice piece on Eetu Luostarinen.
• Road? Schmoad. The Panthers have found quite a bit of playoff success away from Sunrise the past three postseasons.
• Matthew Tkachuk did not practice Sunday, but Paul Maurice said he’s playing in Game 1.
• The Panthers are doing it to the Bruins in the playoffs, again: The Charlotte Checkers shut out the Providence Bruins 2-0 in Game 2 of their best-of-5 series and head home up 2-0. Game 3 is Wednesday at Bojangles Coliseum. I’m buying the biscuits.
• Congrats to Mitch Marner.
• Here’s the schedule for the Panthers/Leafs series — now with game times and TV info!
• The Panthers hoped to keep cashing winning tickets at the Kentucky Derby with Sandman— but Vinnie Viola’s latest entry finished seventh.
• Maurice doesn’t think coaches should be part of the handshake line. That honor, he said belongs to the players.
• Don’t forget to subscribe to the FHN YouTube channel to watch video interviews with the Florida Panthers throughout the postseason. We had a nice Sunday with Maurice, Forsling, and Nico Sturm. More today before and after Game 1.

NHL LINKS / NATIONAL HOCKEY NOW

• So, how good was that Jets-Blues Game 7? The Jets trailed 3-1 with just under 2 minutes left in the third, scored twice — including Cole Perfetti’s goal from the right circle with 1.6 seconds left to force overtime. Winnipeg will play Dallas after captain Adam Lowry scored with 3:50 left in the second OT. It was the NHL’s third-longest Game 7. Whoa, Nellie.
• The Stars are getting two of their top players back to face the Presidents’ Trophy champs.
• Edmonton is feeling much better about things than it did about 10 days ago.
• Sidney Crosby is going to play for Team Canada at Worlds.
• The Colorado Avalanche needed a big win — and instead got an embarrassing loss.

2025 NHL STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS: GAME 1

FLORIDA PANTHERS @ TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

Best-of-7 Series

• When: Monday, 8 p.m.
• Where: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto
• National TV/Streaming: ESPN
• 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: Monday @Toronto, 8 (ESPN); Game 2: Wednesday @Toronto, 7 (ESPN); Game 3: Friday @Florida, 7 (TNT/truTV); Game 4: Sunday @Florida, 7:30 (TBS/truTV); Game 5*: Wednesday May 14 @Toronto TBA (ESPN); Game 6*: Friday May 16 @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
• This Season (Panthers Won 3-1) — At Florida: Panthers 5, Leafs 1 (Nov.27); Panthers 3, Leafs 1 (Ap. 8). At Toronto: Panthers 3, Maple Leafs 2 (March 14); Maple Leafs 3, Panthers 2 (April 2).
• Last Regular Season: Tied 2-2
• All-time Regular Season Series: Toronto leads 51-40-7, 7 ties
• All-time Postseason: Panthers d. Toronto 4-1 (2023 ECS)

For more Florida Panthers news and analysis, visit Florida Hockey Now throughout the day

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