BACK TO TORONTO: Matthews Leads Leafs to Game 6 Win Over Panthers

SUNRISE — The Florida Panthers will be going back to Toronto for Game 7 against the Maple Leafs.

Auston Matthews scored the game’s first goal 6:20 into the third period to help the Leafs get a 2-0 win over the Panthers in Game 6 of their second-round playoff series.

Game 7 will be Sunday night at 7:30.

Both Sergei Bobrovsky and Joseph Woll were playing lights out, but a turnover led to Matthews getting through the offensive zone and scoring on Bobrovsky to make it 1-0.

Max Pacioretty all but ended it when he scored with 5:43 remaining.

Bobrovsky ended with 15 saves; Woll made 21 for his first postseason shutout.

The Panthers had won three straight in the series — and now both teams are 2-1 on home ice.

The winner of Sunday’s winner-take-all will move on to face the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference finals.

GAME 6: MAPLE LEAFS @ PANTHERS

• Toronto forced its first Game 7 in a playoff round beyond the first since 2002.
• The Panthers are attempting to be the first defending Stanley Cup champion to reach the Conference final since the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2022.

LEAFS / PANTHERS SCORING

• Leafs 1, Panthers 0 (6:20 3rd): A Gus Forsling turnover in the neutral zone turns into Auston Matthews coming the other way — and he gets his first of the series by going 5-hole on Sergei Bobrovsky.
• Leafs 2, Panthers 0 (14:17 3rd): Bobby McMann gets the rush going out of the defensive zone, sending a cross-ice pass to Max Pacioretty who bounds the puck off Bobrovsky.

FHN’S 3 STARS OF GAME 6

• 1. Joseph Woll, Toronto
• 2. Auston Matthews, Toronto
• 3. Max Pacioretty, Toronto

2025 NHL STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS: GAME 7

FLORIDA PANTHERS @ TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS 

Best-of-7 Series tied 3-3

• When: Sunday, 7:30 p.m.
• Where: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto
• 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: @Florida 8; Game 7: Sunday @Toronto 7:30 (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)
• Up Next: Winner vs. Carolina Hurricanes (M2), 2025 Eastern Conference final