Game 1: Maple Leafs Jump to Early Lead, Beat Panthers

The Florida Panthers were chasing the Toronto Maple Leafs just 33 seconds into Game 1 of their second-round playoff series on Monday night.

They never caught them although they gave it one heck of a shot in the third period.

Toronto scored three in the first period and held off a late push by the Panthers for a 5-4 win.

The Maple Leafs lead the best-of-7 series 1-0 with Game 2 on Wednesday night.

Florida took a 3-0 series lead against the Maple Leafs in the 2023 second-round, winning in 5.

Anthony Stolarz, Sergei Bobrovsky’s backup last season, made eight saves on nine shots before leaving the game midway through the second with a suspected concussion.

Stolarz did get hit in the back of the head or neck by Sam Bennett when he came rolling through the crease, but stayed in the game for some time before leaving.

Video from Sportsnet showed him vomiting over the Toronto bench. In the first period, Stolarz blocked a Sam Reinhart shot that dislodged his mask.

Reports following the game said Stolarz was taken by stretcher to a local hospital.

Joseph Woll finished things up, stopping 17 shots.

Bobrovsky did not have his best game by any means at least not early as he stopped nine of the 12 shots he faced in the first period. Bobrovsky ended up coming up big in the third, finishing with 24 saves.

William Nylander got his first of two 33 seconds in, ripping a sharp-angled shot with Bobrovsky off the cage.

After Nylander scored his second, Seth Jones made it 2-1 with 3:03 left in the first on a power-play shot from the high slot.

Brandon Tanev made it 3-1 on a breakaway 19 seconds later.

The Panthers trailed 4-1 going into the third period and quickly made it a game once more.

Eetu Luostarinen scored for the second straight game, one-arming a deflection from in front off a sharp halfwall pass from Anton Lundell 1:41 into the period.

Less than 3 minutes later, Uvis Balinskis ripped a pass from Nate Schmidt under the glove of Woll to bring Florida within a goal at 4-3.

Matthew Knies seemed to end it by scoring off a breakaway after Reinhart was tripped up on the other end with 6 minutes remaining.

Only Bennett scored with 1:55 left and Bobrovsky on the bench to make it 5-4.

The Panthers could come no closer.

GAME 1: PANTHERS @ LEAFS

• Florida’s penalty kill kept up the strong work this postseason with Toronto going 0-for-5 with the advantage.
• Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Steven Lorentz and Anthony Stolarz won the Stanley Cup with the Panthers last year. The last time three players won the Cup and played their former teammates in the following teammates was in 1989 when Wayne Gretzky, Mike Krushelnyski, and Marty McSorley lost to the Edmonton Oilers.
• Nylander’s goal 33 seconds into the game was the seventh-fastest game-opening goal in Maple Leafs postseason history and the fastest since 1987.
• Florida has never overcome a three-goal deficit in the third period to win a playoff game. The one time the Panthers came back from three goals down to win a playoff game came in Game 3 against the Lightning in 2021.
• Brad Marchand assisted on both Florida goals in the third and now has 31 playoff points against Toronto.

PANTHERS / LEAFS SCORING

• Leafs 1, Panthers 0 (0:33 1st): William Nylander gets things going very early, scoring on a sharp shot from the bottom of the right circle with John Tavares blocking the side of the net.
• Leafs 2, Panthers 0 (12:51 1st): Nylander gets another one, this time breaking to the net and pouncing on a rebound off Sergei Bobrovsky’s glove from Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s shot.
• Leafs 2, Panthers 1 (16:57 1st PP): Seth Jones sends a sharp wrister from the top of the slot and beats Anthony Stolarz stickside.
• Leafs 3, Panthers 1 (17:16 1st): Florida can’t keep the momentum going, Morgan Reilly keeping the puck on a 2-on-1 with Tavares.
• Leafs 4, Panthers 1 (7:50 2nd): Brandon Tanev sends a knuckler skidding across the ice and it hits a rut — or the toe of Gus Forsling’s skate — and beats Bobrovsky.
• Leafs 4, Panthers 2 (1:41 3rd): Anton Lundell sends a sharp pass to a streaking Eetu Luostarinen for the redirection.
• Leafs 4, Panthers 3 (4:30 3rd): Uvis Balinskis drills one from the left circle to bring Florida back into the fight.
• Leafs 5, Panthers 3 (14:00 3rd): Matthew Knies gets a lead pass from Mitch Marner, rolls in on Bobrovsky and scores.
• Leafs 5, Panthers 4 (18:05 3rd): With Bobrovsky on the bench, the Panthers keep the pressure on in the offensive zone — and Sam Bennett scores from the left circle.

FHN’S 3 STARS OF GAME 1

• 1. William Nylander, Toronto
• 2. Matthew Knies, Toronto
• 3. Max Pacioretty, Toronto

2025 NHL STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS: GAME 2

FLORIDA PANTHERS @ TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

Best-of-7 Series

• When: Wednesday, 7 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: @Toronto; 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 Regular Season: Panthers Won 3-1; 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)