Maple Leafs vs. Panthers: Toronto knocked out of Stanley Cup playoffs after humiliating Game 7 loss to Florida

Toronto Star

19-05-2025

The Toronto Maple Leafs were blown out 6-1 by the Florida Panthers in Game 7 on Sunday night, ending their season.
The Leafs had a chance to reach their first Eastern Conference final since 2002. Instead, they lost another winner-take-all game. The team is now 0-6 in Game 7s since 2018.
What you need to know
Florida beats Toronto 6-1 in Game 7
Leafs fans left early, threw jerseys on ice
Ref left game after scary incident
Toronto is now 0-6 in Game 7s since 2018
Updated 7 mins ago
Disapppointed Leafs fans leave Maple Leaf Square — again
By Estella Ren Staff Reporter
Waves of disappointed and angry fans began trickling out of the tailgate before the final buzzer, unable to watch any longer. Shouts of frustration erupted as Florida buried their sixth goal into an empty net, sealing the Leafs' fate.
Updated 19 mins ago
Time is winding down in Game 7
By Bruce Arthur Columnist
It does seem unlikely that the Leafs will come back to win this game. But there is still plenty of time left for the Panthers to beat the Leafs to a few more loose pucks, win a few more puck battles, be more organized on a few more zone entries and exits, etc.
Updated 26 mins ago
Fans are leaving early and jerseys are on the ice as Panthers go up 5-1
By Bruce Arthur Columnist
With that Sam Reinhart goal right off the faceoff, you could say, eh, they got lucky. But also: when that puck went past Joseph Woll Florida was outshooting the Leafs by a count of 28-14. In a Game 7. To go to the conference finals. So yeah, you're going to see some jerseys and more hit the ice. This is, even in the context of the Leafs, an extraordinary humiliation.
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Updated 32 mins ago
The value of Leafs defenceman Chris Tanev
By Bruce Arthur Columnist
You want to hear something amazing? Chris Tanev, who is one of the better acquisitions in recent Leafs history, has somehow been on the ice for five shots on goal for and one against in a game where the Leafs are being outshot 25-14. The other end of the scale is John Tavares: when he has been on the ice, Toronto is being outshot 14-3.
Updated 18 mins ago
Leafs give one back to Panthers 47 seconds later
By Bruce Arthur Columnist
Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll lies in the net after stopping an attempt by the Florida Panthers in the second period.
Chris Young The Canadian Press
The Leafs were within two goals for 47 seconds. Brad Marchand, who has beaten the Leafs in four previous Game 7s, has his second assist. Oliver Ekman-Larsson lost a puck battle, among other things. Man, this Leafs team. Say it with me: it was 4-1.
Updated 44 mins ago
Max Domi gives Maple Leafs some life
By Bruce Arthur Columnist
Tavares-Matthews-Marner, Nylander-Domi-McMann, sure, why not, and Domi scores off a bad Florida chance and a neutral zone turnover. The Leafs are desperate, and Bobrovsky probably wants that one back. 3-1, and there are a little under 18 minutes left to score two more.
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Updated 39 mins ago
Leafs fans are hurting after that second period
By Bruce Arthur Columnist
Fans react from Maple Leaf Square as they watch the Leafs play the Panthers in Game 7.
Arlyn McAdorey THE CANADIAN PRES
When you've lost Paul Bissonnette, you've lost a guy who cheers for this team no matter what.
"This is brutal. This is men vs boys right now. Completely unprepared. I think they've lost every single 50-50 puck battle. Don't know how else to describe it but pathetic performance..." https://t.co/m8PTsaR1YP pic.twitter.com/0tIAFj4DMS
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 19, 2025
Updated 54 mins ago
Is this the game that finally breaks Brendan Shanahan's Maple Leafs?
By Bruce Arthur Columnist
Panthers' Jonah Gadjovich celebrates after scoring Florida's third gial in Game 7.
Steve Russell Toronto Star
That period ranks up there with any collapse by this team in the last 10 years. That was an absolute embarrassment. You'd think the first period was a helpful near-death experience: get pushed backwards for 10 minutes, survive, push back. But no:
Toronto was outshot 17-5 in the second period, out-attempted 39-13 — the 75 shot attempts by Florida through two periods is the most in the NHL this year, per the broadcast — and outscored 3-0, and it wasn't like they got beat by Florida's elite offensive guys.
The Matthews line was on the ice for the first goal, and the Tavares line was on the ice for the second and third goals, and the goals were scored by Seth Jones on with most of the Barkov line, and then by Florida's third and fourth lines.
The Tavares line is getting murdered. The Matthews line is treading water and producing nothing: no great chances, no push. The third line isn't going to score. The defensive corps looks like they've been getting hammered by Panthers for seven games.
This is Game 5 all over again: no leadership, easily fractured trust and belief, and a team whose reliability in these moments cannot be relied on, even by themselves. You have to wonder whether after everything that has happened, this is the game that finally breaks the Brendan Shanahan Leafs.
Updated 1 hr ago
Leafs look like a team who knows it's already over
By Bruce Arthur Columnist
How you lose a game like this matters, because how you play a game like this matters. But Toronto is watching another failure happen to them, getting beaten to loose pucks, with really loose cohesion. More than anything, the Leafs look like a team that knows it's already over.
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Updated 1 hr ago
Panthers embarrassing Leafs, who look slow and rattled
By Bruce Arthur Columnist
The only line that isn't getting absolutely buried is the Domi line. That's the fourth line, to be clear. Every other Leafs line looks too slow, too passive, too rattled. Toronto played half a period like they weren't the junior partner in this game, and have otherwise been embarrassed. The Panthers aren't parking the bus, either: they might dial the aggressiveness back a bit to avoid breakaways or odd-man rushes, but otherwise, these guys are trying to run up the score. Maybe they're taking nothing for granted; maybe they are trying to plant a seed of doubt in Toronto for future years. Or maybe the Leafs just aren't able to trust themselves and each other enough to play cohesive, alert, everyone-pulling-in-one-direction hockey.
Also: Not sure why it isn't 4-0 right now. That looks like a good goal for Seth Jones, off a Morgan Rielly-Mitch Marner turnover.
Updated 1 hr ago
Maple Leafs completely collapse in second period
By Bruce Arthur Columnist
Florida Panthers winger Jonah Gadjovich celebrates his goal with teammates in Game 7.
Frank Gunn THE CANADIAN PRESS
Complete collapse. Complete. Turnover in the offensive zone; Brandon Carlo and then Morgan Rielly have trouble clearing the zone, and when the leafs do get out Tavares turns the puck over outside his own blue line and Florida's fourth line makes it 3-0. The Leafs responded to Florida in the first period. They have fallen apart in the second, and it's hard to see how they're going to wrestle this thing back. Tavares and Nylander were on the ice for the last two goals, and Toronto not only trails 3-0, but Florida is still pushing. Collapse.
GADJO JOINS THE PARTY!!! pic.twitter.com/jjnKMkxEch
— x - Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) May 19, 2025
Shot attempts in the period: Florida 27, Leafs 5. Shots: 11-1
Updated 1 hr ago
Panthers rolling in the second as the ceiling caves in on Leafs
By Bruce Arthur Columnist
The ceiling is caving in now. Toronto needed a much better response after that first goal, and they haven't done so: Bobrovsky started a rush off a Pacioretty shoot in, the Panthers set up in the offensive zone again by winning a puck battle, Brad Marchand threw the puck at the net, and Anton Lundell cleaned up the rebound. Again, by the way: Marchand has beaten the Leafs in four previous Game 7s. And now Toronto sure as hell can't play rope-a-dope, counterattack hockey any more.
That made it 2-0 Florida, and they weren't done yet ...
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Updated 1 hr ago
Panthers take the lead and the Leafs face some adversity
By Bruce Arthur Columnist
Florida Panthers defenceman Seth Jones, middle, celebrates his goal with teammates Aleksander Barkov, left, and Niko Mikkolain Game 7.
Frank Gunn THE CANADIAN PRESS
Matthews lost the puck in the offensive zone, and Marner couldn't save it; the Panthers dug it out, Morgan Rielly was too aggressive in the neutral zone, and Seth Jones got to walk in and beat Joseph Woll high, with no shot blockers in the way. 1-0 Florida, and the first real adversity of the game has now arrived.
JONESY BREAKS THE ICE!!!!! pic.twitter.com/kfTKpcng7W
— x - Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) May 19, 2025
Updated 1 hr ago
Referee gets stick to face and exits game
By Bruce Arthur Columnist
Referee Chris Rooney is attended to as he's escorted off the ice after being clipped by a stick.
Frank Gunn THE CANADIAN PRESS
You never, ever want to see hockey players waving frantically to the bench for medical assistance. Referee Chris Rooney got a stick that lifted his helmet off and came very close to his eyes.
Referee Chris Rooney gets a stick up high and has left the game, as Garrett Rank replaces him pic.twitter.com/Pey6iFAxad
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 19, 2025
Scary. They had to scrape the blood off the ice. It's a wonder this doesn't happen more often, and speaks to how good the officials are at existing within the flow of a chaotic game.
Garrett Rank is the backup official, and he is out there.
Updated 1 hr ago
Leafs and Panthers first period takeaways
By Bruce Arthur Columnist
Truly fascinating first period: The Leafs started in a coma, held onto the ropes, and then gradually figured out that this was a Game 7 and were something close to the better team in the second half of the period. Auston Matthews is winning puck battles; the Leafs are finding seams to counter Florida's aggressiveness; the Leafs PK has been a godsend as the series has gone on.
The McMann-Domi-Pacioretty line was helpful; William Nylander had a real chance; the defensive structure is still holding, and Florida is still having a hell of a time getting all the way to the blue paint, where Joseph Woll has been good. So was Sergei Bobrovsky, for that matter, and he had more blue paint shots to deal with.
But the Panthers had the first 25 shot attempts, and it was 17-6 at 5-on-5 for the Leafs the rest of the way. Which is more repeatable? You'd guess Florida, but that wasn't a period that was enough to give hope to either team, depending on how you look at it. Everyone survived the first 20 minutes: 40 to go, at least.
The Leafs also blocked 14 shots in that period. As colleague James Mirtle noted, the most blocked shots in one game by any team this season was 36.
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Updated 1 hr ago
Hailey and Justin Bieber in attendance for Game 7
By Braydon Holmyard Toronto Star
Justin Bieber during the NHL all-star draft at Scotiabank Arena in 2024.
Steve Russell Toronto Star
Diehard Maple Leafs fan Justin Bieber couldn't miss Game 7.
The Canadian singer was shown on the Sportsnet broadcast sitting right behind the Toronto bench with his wife, Hailey.
Justin and Hailey Bieber are on the scene for Game 7 👋 pic.twitter.com/LHpMMe1t78
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 19, 2025
Bieber, who grew up in Stratford, has been posting about the Leafs on Instagram throughout the playoffs.
He has collaborated with the team in the past and was a big part of the NHL All-Star Game in Toronto last season.
Updated 2 hrs ago
Leafs caught with six skaters on the ice
By Bruce Arthur Columnist
Taking a too many men penalty in a Game 7 is like asking the boxer opposite to take a free swing.
Thankfully for them, they killed it off as the period came to a close.
Updated 2 hrs ago
After a slow start, the Leafs made a statement of their own
By Bruce Arthur Columnist
The big difference right now is Florida gets contested chances and Toronto gets breakaways for Scott Laughton and Steven Lorentz. Oh, and the Leafs have now recorded seven consecutive shots on goal after Florida got the first seven, though I have some doubts about whoever is operating the shot clock here.
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Updated 2 hrs ago
Leafs respond with scoring chances of their own
By Bruce Arthur Columnist
Hard to overstate how it important it was for Toronto to survive the first 10 minutes of this game. They're not watching the game anymore, and the traffic is all going the other way, with some extended shifts and real chances. Scott Laughton isn't the guy you want on a breakaway, but any breakaway is better than no breakaway. All in all, the Leafs have probably had the better opportunities.
Also, it's early, but it's possible this game is being played under prison rules, and of these two teams, the Panthers are probably in better shape, since they always kind of play by prison rules.
Updated 2 hrs ago
Nylander comes close as Leafs find some life
By Bruce Arthur Columnist
The Leafs first actual shot on goal could very, very easily have been a goal: William Nylander just drifted too far to properly lift the puck. But he — and the Matthews line before him — seemed to realize it's more fun playing at the other end of the ice.
Nylander just needed to stay with the play a little longer: he was skating to nowhere.
Updated 2 hrs ago
Maple Leafs offence is struggling early
By Bruce Arthur Columnist
The Leafs are treating the puck the way someone people treat the Stanley Cup: it's like they don't want to touch it because it's bad luck. Come to think of it, the Leafs franchise has also adopted this approach over the last 57 years, too.
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Updated 2 hrs ago
Panthers all over the Maple Leafs to start Game 7
By Bruce Arthur Columnist
One thing about watching Florida in the last three years, and again tonight: forget the hitting for a second, and forget the swagger. These guys know exactly how they want to manage the puck. Jesus, have they had a start to Game 7: skating hard, calm puck exchanges, getting to where the puck is going to be and utterly controlling the play. They have so many guys who are so good at the skeleton keys of puck possession.
The first 21 shot attempts, and counting, belong to Florida.
Updated 2 hrs ago
Panthers off to a fast start
By Bruce Arthur Columnist
Well, Florida has gotten their first five-hour offensive shift of the game out of the way. The second period of Game 6 looked a lot like that. Nothing too dangerous, but enough of those and the bar for what's dangerous drops.
Updated 2 hrs ago
Brad Marchand a thorn in Leafs' side
By Bruce Arthur Columnist
For the record, Brad Marchand has been on the winning side in four Game 7s against the Toronto Maple Leafs; he even assisted on the winning goal in overtime in 2013.
Tonight is the 13th Game 7 of his career.
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Updated 2 hrs ago
'We're gonna win': Maple Leafs fans bring energy to the tailgate
By Estella Ren Staff Reporter
As puck drops nears, a sea of blue and white washed over Maple Leaf Square on Sunday night, as fans screamed themselves hoarse, waved towels high in the air, and braced for the do-or-die drama of Game 7, with excited smiles stretching across nearly every face in the crowd.
Fans chanted 'Go Leafs Go' at the top of their lungs, waving homemade signs that read, 'It's our year' and 'The devil is moving to Florida.'
At the tailgate party, fans showed off their moves — breakdancing on the pavement, doing handstands and even the splits on the interactive stage — turning the square into a full-blown celebration before the first faceoff.
'We're winning. We're gonna win,' said Shawn McFadden, 54, a lifelong Leafs fan who had watched the earlier games against the defending Panthers from a beach in Jamaica last week.
'I want to see them win once, just to shut up all the haters. I'm not greedy. One Stanley Cup,' he said.
Updated 3 hrs ago
Maple Leafs can change narrative of the Auston Matthews era
By Bruce Arthur Columnist
God, Game 7s can be beautiful. Toronto played Game 7s in 2018 and 2019 in Boston. They played a deciding Game 5 against Columbus in 2020 and the fateful Game 7 against Montreal in 2021 in Toronto, but in Covid-emptied arenas. They played Game 7 in Tampa in 2022, and in Boston in 2024. None of those games went terribly well.
And now, something new: a Game 7 in Toronto in front of a home crowd, with a chance to reach the franchise's first conference final since 2002. An NHL defenceman named Eric Brewer once told me of Game 7s, 'You have to keep your mind in small places, and not get too far ahead of yourself.' That's good advice, really. If you think about how a Game 7 really works — how irrevocable a mistake can be, how indelible success can be, the stakes of every decision — you could freeze, overthink, or even choke. Especially in overtime, god. One of the most amazing things about a Game 7 OT is how as soon as it ends, the winning players explode, and the losing players have their strings cut. You can't think about that, as you play.
Can these Leafs keep their minds in small places? We're nearly a decade into the Matthews-Marner-Nylander-Rielly-and-eventually Tavares era, with so little actual playoff success to show for it. Mitch Marner is a free agent this summer, and presumably, so is team president Brendan Shanahan. Things could change. But more, everyone will be a year older, with less room left on the road. Toronto has been aching for this team to just prove itself worthy, just once, in the really big moments, for so long now. The core four Leafs won a Game 6 in Tampa and a Game 6 in Ottawa to win their two playoff series in the last nine years, and everything else has been different flavours of failure. Some have been extraordinarily painful. It's the rule of the franchise, until it's changed.
And now, a Game 7 at home. Will the crowd be tight? Will Toronto give them license to cheer without too much fear? Will Matthew Knies be physically limited, and if so, how much? Can the Leafs finish a series against the defending Stanley Cup champs? The disciplined, defensive game Toronto played in Game 6 was a blueprint, but that was also a game that easily could have tipped the other way in the second period, or on any of Florida's four power plays. The Leafs have scored two goals in their last three games; not scoring when it mattered has been everything, for this core.
So let's watch. Toronto has failed in this situation before, and not always in the same way, whereas the Panthers won a Game 7 in the Cup final against Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl last season, so you know who knows how to do this. This is a legacy game for Toronto, more than most. And this is another chance, after nearly a decade of them, for these Leafs to learn. Game 7 has a chance to be beautiful, or not.
Updated 3 hrs ago
Joseph Woll's historic playoff stat
By Braydon Holmyard Toronto Star
Leafs goalie Joseph Woll has been clutch when facing elimination in the post-season.
Richard Lautens Toronto Star
It's no secret that the Leafs will need Joseph Woll to be sharp to beat the Panthers in Game 7.
The Leafs goaltender, who's coming off a shutout in Game 6, has put up historic numbers when facing elimination in the post-season.
According to Sportsnet Stats, Woll's 1.13 goals-against average in potential elimination games is the second lowest in NHL history among goalies who have played in at least five of those games. Ben Bishop is a touch ahead with a 1.11 GAA.
Woll took over the Leafs' net in Game 1 of this series after Anthony Stolarz suffered an injury.
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Updated 3 hrs ago
Game 7 has been a struggle in Matthews era
By Braydon Holmyard Toronto Star
The Leafs have a chance to turn their Game 7 fortunes around against the Panthers tonight.
Since the Auston Matthews era began in 2018, the longest-tenured Leafs players — Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and Morgan Rielly — are 0-5 in Game 7s.
In those five games, Matthews has three assists, Marner has two assists, Nylander has two goals and two assists and Rielly has one goal and one assist.
Updated 4 hrs ago
Did Drake just curse the Maple Leafs?
By Braydon Holmyard Toronto Star
As if Maple Leafs fans didn't already have enough curses to worry about, Drake may have just added another one.
The Toronto rapper is known for placing massive wagers on major sports events and, since he's often come out on the losing end — just last year he bet half a million dollars on the Edmonton Oilers to win in the Stanley Cup final — some say that if Drake bets on a team, they become cursed.
Instagram screenshot
Drake is aware of how sports fans feel about his bets. He asked his Instagram followers if he should bet on the Leafs and one of the poll options was, 'no, you will curse it.'
Alas, over 60 per cent of the vote said yes, he should bet on the Leafs, so he put $1 million on Toronto to win in Game 7, and another $250K for them to win by two.
Instagram screenshot
It's probably fine … right?
Updated 4 hrs ago
Maple Leafs marvel at Mark Scheifele's courage after dad's death
By Kevin McGran Sports Reporter
When Mark Scheifele took to the ice on Saturday night for the Winnipeg Jets in Dallas, playing through the grief of his father's death, he had the hockey world's attention, admiration and sympathy.
'My heart goes out to him and his family,' Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube said before Sunday's Game 7 against the Florida Panthers. 'The courage you show to play that game, and he played well. It's a terrible situation, you feel for him. But I understand why he played, I really do. That's a tough day for everybody.'
Scheifele did it not just to help his team but to honour his father, Brad, whose death was announced the morning of Game 6 against the Stars. Scheifele scored, but the Jets lost in overtime with Scheifele serving a penalty at the time of Thomas Harley's winner, which sent Dallas to the Western Conference final against the Edmonton Oilers.
The Jets were eliminated. The handshake line was more emotional than most.
Read the full story here.
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Updated 8 hrs ago
Forget the past. Maple Leafs fans still BeLeaf
By Braydon Holmyard Toronto Star
Leafs fans celebrate a third-period goal by Max Pacioretty in Game 6.
Richard Lautens/ Toronto Star
A quick search of the word 'BeLeaf' on any social media platform on Sunday morning shows where the minds of many Maple Leafs fans are at ahead of Game 7.
Leafs fans are used to having their hearts broken. And yet, many are making it clear that they firmly believe their team can finally exorcise their playoff demons and beat the Florida Panthers on Sunday night.
If any fans are looking for some positivity, look no further than the Leafs fan known as Hockey Illuminati, who always finds the most obscure reasons to be convinced that the Leafs are due for a win.
'For those who do not believe ... we do not accept your energy,' he says.
@hockey_illuminati
IT GETS DONE THIS TIME ✊🏼
♬ original sound - HOCKEY ILLUMINATI
Meanwhile on Saturday Night Live, Scarborough native Mike Myers closed out the show's 50th season while wearing a Toronto Maple Leafs shirt.
As the closing credits rolled, he turned his back to the camera to reveal the words 'support your local hockey team' written across the back.
Thank you, Scarlett Johansson, Bad Bunny, Mike Myers, and RaiNao! Goodnight! pic.twitter.com/fTy9bl5fN9
— Saturday Night Live - SNL (@nbcsnl) May 18, 2025
The Leafs are looking for their first Game 7 victory since 2004 tonight, and they have a chance to do it on home ice.
'It's excitement for our group, playing at home here in front of our crowd,' said Leafs coach Craig Berube. 'Passionate crowd. Passionate fans. Passionate city.'
Fans in attendance at Scotiabank Arena will have light-up bracelets waiting for them at their seats. Hopefully for them, there will be plenty to cheer about.
Updated 10 hrs ago
Maple Leafs pre-game notebook: Knies 'good to go' and home-ice advantage
By Kevin McGran Sports Reporter
Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies is ready go to go for tonight's winner-take-all Game 7 against the Florida Panthers.
All the Leafs were present and accounted for at today's morning skate at the Scotiabank Arena, with Knies taking usual his spot in line rushes with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.
'He's good to go,' said Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube.
There was concern after he took a hit from Aaron Ekblad in Game 6. He finished the game but was used only sporadically after that. Berube said he 'anticipates using him' like he normally would.
Also in today's pre-game notebook:
The Leafs fought all year for home-ice advantage, and have it tonight. They believe it's going to help.
With Winnipeg, Washington and Vegas all second-round casualties, the Leafs are the highest seed remaining in the playoffs.
Read the full Game 7 notebook here.
Updated 10 hrs ago
Matthew Knies expected to play in Game 7, Berube says
By Braydon Holmyard Toronto Star
Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky stops Leafs forward Matthew Knies in Game 6 on Friday.
AP Photo/Lynne Sladky
Matthew Knies, who had an injury scare against the Panthers in Game 6, is expected to play in Game 7 on Sunday, Leafs coach Craig Berube told reporters.
Knies was on the ice and playing with his usual line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner at the team's morning skate.
Matthew Knies out for the morning skate pic.twitter.com/sdOZ3FkQne
— Kevin McGran (@kevin_mcgran) May 18, 2025
Knies took a reverse hit from Aaron Ekblad in the second period on Game 6. He left the game in obvious discomfort and played sparingly in the third period.
'I used him in situational play more than anything,' Leafs coach Craig Berube said after the game. 'Down the stretch (I asked him) if he was good to go or he wasn't good to go. So it was more for me just talking to him on the bench to understand where he was at the time.'
Knies played just 13 minutes on Friday while averaging over 20 minutes per game throughout these playoffs. He has five goals and two assists in 12 playoff games so far.
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Updated 5 hrs ago
Why the Maple Leafs' Game 7 challenge resonates from Bay Street to Broadway
By Dave Feschuk Sports Columnist
Fans celebrate a goal by Max Pacioretty (67) as the Leafs beat the Panthers 2-0 in the 6th game of round 2 of the playoffs.
Richard Lautens / Toronto Star
As Sunday's Game 7 looms after the Maple Leafs flew home Saturday to rest and prepare, a fan would have been excused for believing there's something unusual in the air.
No, not the smell of stinking rich owners cackling at the windfall of another home playoff gate at Scotiabank Arena. That's the in-house fragrance nobody even notices anymore. We're referring to one of the best sports stories of the spring, when unexpected celebrations have broken out among the long-suffering supporters of a legacy franchise based in a financial centre that considers itself a sporting capital.
These are the ghosts the Maple Leafs hope to exorcise in Game 7 against the Panthers
But it could also fit a certain NHL team from the centre of the hockey universe. If the Leafs beat the Florida Panthers in Game 7, they'll earn their first trip to the Eastern final since 2002.
Full column here from Dave Feschuk
Updated 10 hrs ago
These are the ghosts the Maple Leafs hope to exorcise in Game 7 against the Panthers
By Kevin McGran Sports Reporter
Leafs John-Michael Liles pays the price along the boards when he's crushed by the Bruins' Daniel Paille during 3rd period action December 8, 2013.
Rick Madonik/ Toronto Star
'It was 4-1.'
That simple sentence resonates deeply within the soul of today's generation of Maple Leafs fans. It hearkens back to the 2013 first-round series played by the Phil Kessel-era Leafs that turned a three-goal third-period advantage into a 5-4 overtime loss to the Boston Bruins — on goals with 10:42, 1:22 and 51 seconds remaining.
It's the granddaddy of Game 7 heartbreak. It was also the beginning of the end of that era of Leafs, with Brendan Shanahan hired as team president a year later. But the core has gone through its share of heartache in winner-take-all contests.
Take a trip down memory lane with the Star here.
Updated 7 hrs ago
How the Maple Leafs are preparing for Game 7 against the Panthers
By Kevin McGran Sports Reporter
Maple Leafs defenceman Simon Benoit greets his goaltender Joseph Woll after the Game 6 win in Florida.
Icon Sportswire Icon Sportswire
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.—William Nylander walked up from the beach and sat in a chair in the shaded patio outside the team hotel. Brandon Carlo was already there, feet up. Simon Benoit joined them within minutes.
It was just idle chit-chat among them, some phone time, while they waited — in no rush, really — to get on the bus that would take them to the airport for a flight back to Toronto, where the Maple Leafs will play the biggest game of their season on Sunday night: Game 7 against the Florida Panthers.
The winner moves on to the Eastern Conference final against the Carolina Hurricanes. The loser will feel like a season was wasted.
Auston Matthews scored the winner in the third period as the Maple Leafs shut out the Florida Panthers 2-0 to force Game 7 in their second-round playoff series. (May 17, 2025 / The Canadian Press)
'We stayed overnight here so we can at least relax for a while and rest,' said coach Craig Berube, on the one-year anniversary of his hire. 'It's just getting away from it for a bit here and relaxing, and then getting some rest. That's really important, because we're going to need the energy in Game 7. Rest is really crucial right now.'
Leafs
Auston Matthews and Joseph Woll save the Maple Leafs' season. And now, Game 7
If there was a template of the game that Craig Berube has been preaching, none fit it better than Game 6 against the Panthers in Florida on Friday
Leafs
Auston Matthews and Joseph Woll save the Maple Leafs' season. And now, Game 7
If there was a template of the game that Craig Berube has been preaching, none fit it better than Game 6 against the Panthers in Florida on Friday
More so perhaps for Matthew Knies. He took a big hit from Aaron Ekblad in the second period of Game 6 on Friday and played only sporadically after that. When Berube met the media on Saturday morning, he had yet to receive a medical update.
'I will today, though, at some point,' said Berube. '(I'll learn) how we've got to proceed going forward here with him.'
Knies, the youngest Leaf at 22, is an important component on the top line and power play.
'He touches every part of the game,' said Berube. 'He scored some big goals for us. He's been a very good player in the playoffs here and throughout the season.'
The Leafs worked all year to get home-ice advantage — winning the Atlantic Division was an oft-stated goal — and the reward is sleeping in your own bed on the night before the game, having the backing of the home crowd, and last change among the on-ice tactics.
'It's exciting,' said Leafs forward Scott Laughton. 'We did our job here. We still have a job to do. It's always fun. Game 7 at home in Toronto. It's pretty electric, so it's going to be exciting and we've got to be ready to go.
'Every shift, every puck battle are so important in these situations ... every play matters.'
The Leafs took care of business and forced Game 7 with a pitch-perfect 2-0 win on Friday night. It was the recipe Berube likes: keep the game close, then break it open in the third period. Goals by Auston Matthews and Max Pacioretty did just that.
Now the Leafs are giving off vibes that they are all calm, cool and collected. No one is on edge. No one is showing any signs that the pressure is getting to them. They're exuding a quiet confidence, which is all anyone can ask between games.
Leafs
Opinion
Dave Feschuk: Auston Matthews and the Maple Leafs see the light and stay alive in Game 6. Now they have to do it again
If Game 5 against the Florida Panthers was lost thanks to paralysis by analysis, the Leafs suffered no such affliction in Game 6.
Leafs
Opinion
Dave Feschuk: Auston Matthews and the Maple Leafs see the light and stay alive in Game 6. Now they have to do it again
If Game 5 against the Florida Panthers was lost thanks to paralysis by analysis, the Leafs suffered no such affliction in Game 6.
The last time the Leafs made it to a conference final, they bowed out in five games to Carolina in 2002. The last time they won a Game 7, it was over the Ottawa Senators in the first round in 2004. They are 12-15 all-time in Game 7s, 7-3 on home ice.
While many Leafs have only experienced Game 7 disappointment, a few recent additions have the opposite experience. The last Game 7 Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Steven Lorentz played in won them the Stanley Cup in Florida.
'I'm trying to help the team out in any way I can,' said Ekman-Larsson. 'I'm a positive guy. I'm trying to be positive and trying to keep the room light and cheer them on.'
Of course, their ex-teammates on the Panthers had that same success.
'Personally, I enjoy them,' said Panthers coach Paul Maurice. 'As you get older, you enjoy the more unusual events of your life. I think you're more aware of them. So Game 7 is cool.'
Maurice perhaps best summed up what separates Game 7s from the rest of the playoffs.
'You want to win in four,' he said. 'You do, 100 per cent. But the Game 7s, you'll remember.
'There's not a lot of them. They're more intense, but there's a freedom in Game 7 that's not anywhere else. On both teams you've got guys dealing with stuff, physical stuff. And they will say, 'I just got to play one more game.' Now if they get to play one more game after that, they'll deal with that then. But in the moment in the warm-up, whatever they're dealing with becomes far more mentally manageable. So everybody goes, and everybody goes hard. There's a freedom to Game 7 that's not like any other.'
The game is at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday at Scotiabank Arena. The final hours leading up to it might feel like an eternity.
'You wait around for it all day, which is a little bit painful,' said Berube, whose St. Louis Blues won the Stanley Cup in a Game 7 in 2019. 'But once it gets going, it's great. You're in the moment. There's a lot of emotion going on in the game, a lot of intensity. As the head coach, it's important to stay calm and keep your players directed in the right way and staying calm, too.
'But it's a lot of fun.'
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Updated 7 hrs ago
Auston Matthews and the Maple Leafs see the light and stay alive in Game 6. Now they have to do it again
By Dave Feschuk Sports Columnist
Auston Matthews opened the scoring for the Maple Leafs with their season on the line in the third period of Friday night's Game 6 against the Panthers in Florida.SUNRISE, Fla.—Maybe the Maple Leafs found what they'd been missing on the way to Friday's do-or-die Game 6.
As head coach Craig Berube reeled off an inventory of areas in need of improvement in the wake of Wednesday's humiliating 6-1 loss in Game 5, that sent the Leafs to South Florida on what was easy enough to cast as a death march, most of the coach's list of demands amounted to fundamental stuff. The Leafs, Berube said, needed to skate, because they 'stood around and watched' too often Wednesday. They needed to compete harder, because they were in the midst of a three-game playoff losing streak in which they were losing far too many puck battles. But beyond all that, Berube offered another piece of advice as his team attempted to stave off elimination.
'You have to enjoy the moment,' said the coach. 'This is what guys play for.'
Leafs
Auston Matthews and Joseph Woll save the Maple Leafs' season. And now, Game 7
Kevin McGran
So, for all the grim whispers around this team and the cacophony of social-media doomsaying online, Friday's morning skate in nearby Fort Lauderdale was occasionally accompanied by a joyous whoop from one smiling Leaf or another. And Friday night's 2-0 win saw the Leafs do what their coach suggested they do: shake the weight of the world off their slumped shoulders and play freely, as though the game is fun. Because winning certainly is.
'It is fun. It's hockey. It's competition. It's what you dream of as a kid growing up, playing in games that matter,' Chris Tanev, the Leafs defenceman, said before the game. 'So we need to embrace the moment, enjoy the moment and live in the moment.'
Auston Matthews scored the winner in the third period as the Maple Leafs shut out the Florida Panthers 2-0 to force Game 7 in their second-round playoff series. (May 17, 2025 / The Canadian Press)
A game after Berube lamented how his team was guilty of 'overthinking' as the Panthers clobbered the Leafs in a game that inspired boos at Scotiabank Arena, it was Toronto that caught the Panthers flat-footed more than once with the season on the line. This was a tight game, with not much separating the sides. But ultimately it was the Leafs preying on Florida mistakes that made the difference.
Auston Matthews scored the game's opening goal on a feed from Mitch Marner after Florida's Aaron Ekblad bobbled a breakout pass at the home team's blue line with 13:40 remaining in the third period. It was Matthews's first career goal in 11 second-round playoff games, and it came on his 24th shot of the series. But it couldn't have come at a better time.
AUSTON MATTHEWS PUTS THE LEAFS IN THE LEAD!! 😤 pic.twitter.com/PV38xKI4zd
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 17, 2025
'I've had some good opportunities all series,' Matthews said. 'I'm just going to continue to shoot and believe the next one's going in.'
After Max Pacioretty beat Florida defenceman Nate Schmidt in a sprint to the net front and scored on a cross-ice pass from Bobby McMann to make it 2-0, a team that looked dispirited in Game 5 was on the way to being rejuvenated by victory in Game 6. Joseph Woll's 22-save shutout, the first of his playoff career, sealed the deal.
The Leafs are now 7-8 when facing elimination in the Shanaplan era. That they're 0-5 in Game 7s — hey, at least they've got another chance to prove themselves in Sunday's winner-take-all contest at Scotiabank Arena.
What can the Leafs expect?
'It's fun,' said the 36-year-old Pacioretty, who has played in four Game 7s and been on the winning side of three. 'I can't wait. We're going to war.'
Hockey
Opinion
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Dave Feschuk
The Panthers, as defending Stanley Cup champions, will no doubt be installed as favourites. But it's not as though Florida hasn't shown vulnerabilities. As Panthers coach Paul Maurice said in th e lead-up to Friday's game, Florida hasn't exactly figured out how to plug the holes that have allowed the Leafs to find good scoring chances on Sergei Bobrovsky. And for all the outcry about Toronto's flat performance in Game 5, Maurice pointed out that, according to Florida's analytics, it was far closer than the lopsided score suggested.
'They're in alone on us a bunch of times,' Maurice said. 'I don't think we're getting rid of all of (Toronto's chances), but that's why Sergei is what he is to us. That's how important he is. To completely prevent it, we would have to completely change how we play, and we're a little far down the road for that now.'
The Leafs have often played well in moments when large swaths of their fan base have written them off, and Friday's game was no different. Toronto supplied a sharp opening period, outshooting the Panthers 7-2 thanks to a defensive approach that kept the opponent to the outside and prioritized cutting off shooting lanes. The tireless Tanev blocked more shots in the first period (four) than Woll was required to stop (two). The Leafs blocked a series-high 31 shots all told, and managed the puck to near perfection.
'We played a simple game tonight, and we were determined,' Berube said. 'That stands out to me more than anything — determination.'
Leafs
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Kevin McGran
Florida tilted the ice in the second period, when referees somehow missed the moment Florida captain Aleksander Barkov inserted his stick underneath Matthews's visor — a clip that required Matthews to make a momentary trip down the tunnel for treatment. So it was understandable that Matthews was irate when he was called for high-sticking Ekblad in the midst of a second-period Toronto power play. For all that, the game was scoreless heading into the second intermission. Patience was required, and the Leafs showed plenty. If Game 5 was lost thanks to Toronto's paralysis by analysis, the Leafs suffered no such affliction in Game 6. That's a step in the correct direction en route to a chance at Game 7 redemption.
Berube, who's 2-1 in Game 7s as a head coach with a win that includes the Stanley Cup clincher with St. Louis in 2019, was asked what's in store on Sunday.
'They're fun,' Berube said, speaking of Game 7s. 'I don't know how players think nowadays, but when I was growing up, and all the people that I knew growing up, they always dreamed of playing in a Game 7 … Everything's on the line. We gotta come out in Game 7 and do the same things we did (in Game 6). It's not fancy. It's just competing. It's direct. It's simple hockey.'
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Updated 7 hrs ago
Leafs faithful look forward to Game 7 after a crucial 2-0 win on Friday
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By Marisa Coulton Staff Reporter, and Ilyas Hussein Staff Reporter
Leafs fans celebrate a third-period goal by Max Pacioretty in Game 6.
Richard Lautens/ Toronto Star
A massive crowd of fans dressed in white and blue clustered together in Maple Leaf Square outside Scotiabank Arena, waiting for the puck drop at 8 p.m. They shouted, waved towels, shook noisemakers. They were grinning — they believed the Leafs could make it happen and force a Game 7 back here on Sunday night.
After a scoreless first and second period, the optimism turned to nerves.
Then Leafs captain Auston Matthews broke the game open with a third-period goal, and the throng of Toronto supporters erupted. Later in the third, Toronto forward Max Pacioretty made it 2-0, the final score of a crucial Game 6 against the Florida Panthers.
'I'm buzzing with excitement,' said Sarah Arshad, a self-described 'huge' Leafs fan, after the game. 'It's so incredible, especially after the last game. They were playing so, so well, and coming out with those two goals and winning was just the icing on top of the cake.'
Auston Matthews scored the winner in the third period as the Maple Leafs shut out the Florida Panthers 2-0 to force Game 7 in their second-round playoff series. (May 17, 2025 / The Canadian Press)
At the beginning of the game, fans were cautiously optimistic. 'It's the playoffs,' said fan Josh Wulff, whose collection of Leafs memorabilia has reached 'not even funny' levels. 'If you don't come to play, you're not going to win. Let's hope the boys bring it tonight, and let's bring the cup home.'
Leafs
Auston Matthews and Joseph Woll save the Maple Leafs' season. And now, Game 7
If there was a template of the game that Craig Berube has been preaching, none fit it better
After the first period, with still no goals in sight, the crowd's energy died down, but fan Evan Dantas remained upbeat. 'We're playing physical, we're playing fast, we're not shying away,' he said. 'We're taking it to them, so if we keep the pressure on, if we keep outshooting them… we're going to win the game.'
The game wore on, 0-0. 'I'm a little stressed out,' admitted fan Ireland Hosick. 'It's looking a little too even right now. The first half the Leafs were on top. The second half the Florida Panthers were on top. This game is way too even. I'm thinking overtime, maybe.'
Then, a reprieve: Matthews scored. Maple Leaf Square went wild. They shook each other by the shoulders, threw their popcorn in the air, and grinned up at the big screen. When Pacioretty doubled the lead, fans knew it was a done deal.
Fans celebrate the Auston Matthews goal Game 6 of the second round between the Leafs and Panthers on May 17, 2025.
Richard Lautens/ Toronto Star
The Game 6 victory forces a win-or-go home Game 7 on Sunday in Toronto. But the Leafs have seen their fair share of playoff heartbreak in recent years. Toronto is 2-13 in series-clinching games since 2018.
That year, against the Boston Bruins, the Leafs had a 4-3 lead heading into the third period of Game 7 before allowing four unanswered goals. In 2019, again against the Bruins, they had a 3-2 series lead and then lost two straight games. A year later, they lost in the bubble after a historic comeback in Game 4 against the Columbus Blue Jackets, technically not even qualifying for the playoffs.
They went up 3-1 against the Montreal Canadiens in 2021, and then lost three straight. 2022 was a repeat of 2019, but that time to the Lightning, who they beat in the first round of the following year — only to lose in five games to the Panthers in the second round. Finally, last season, they stormed back from a 3-1 deficit to the Bruins, yet again, before losing in overtime in Game 7.
The Leafs entered Friday night staring down elimination, down 3-2 in their best-of-seven second-round series against Florida. After winning the first two games at home to go up 2-0, the Leafs lost both on the road in Florida's Amerant Bank Arena before suffering a 6-1 shellacking in the pivotal Game 5 on home ice.
Fans hope Sunday will be different.
'Oh my God, I'm so excited,' says Hazel Kibria, who has played hockey and watched the Leafs for many years. 'I wasn't even sure if we were going to win, but I had hope for everyone … I'm just really excited about this one.'
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Updated May 17, 2025 at 7:32 a.m.
Leafs vs. Panthers Game 6 recap: Toronto wins 2-0 with goals from Matthews and Pacioretty, will return home for Game 7
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By Bruce Arthur Columnist, and Marisa Coulton Staff Reporter
Auston Matthews celebrates a goal against the Florida Panthers with teammates during the third period of Game 6 at Amerant Bank Arena on May 16, 2025 in Sunrise, Fla.This live blog is no longer being updated.
The Maple Leafs and Panthers are now tied 3-3 in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs after Toronto won Game 6 on Friday in Sunrise, Fla.
What to know:
Toronto won 2-0 after Matthews and Pacioretty both scored in the third period
Leafs forward Matthew Knies appears to be battling a new injury
Game 7 is on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. ET in Toronto
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Updated May 16, 2025 at 6:00 p.m.
Passing on the 'passion': How Leafs fans buckled up for this playoff run by taking on a wrestling-inspired tradition
By Ilyas Hussein Staff Reporter
Fans across the city — and beyond — have been passing a WWE-style belt from one superfan to another after every game, win or lose, celebrating team spirit and forming a unique connection with the club.
Submitted photos
It started with the team. After every win, a Maple Leafs player would hoist a WWE-style belt, passed from one to the next. It was a symbol of grit. A sign of effort. A badge of honour.
But this playoff run, the tradition has spilled into the stands.
Dubbed the 'Passion Belt' online, the Leafs introduced the replica championship strap for fans before the playoffs began. Fans across the city — and beyond — have been passing it from one superfan to another after every game, win or lose, celebrating team spirit and forming a unique connection with the club.
'It's pretty spectacular to see how passionate Leafs Nation is,' said Eric Pronio, who had the belt for Game 5 in the Leafs' opening-round series against the Ottawa Senators. 'I like to think I'm a pretty big Leafs fan. And then there's just another level every other day. It's pretty cool to be a part of it.'
Fan Eric Pronio carries the belt.
supplied
Leafs fans have loved the team's championship belt since players started handing it out in 2022. But because the Leafs didn't announce who got it after each win, fans had to dig. Reporters usually had to ask players directly. With no official record, fans built online trackers to follow the belt's journey — and when they couldn't find the answer, some messaged reporters for the inside scoop.
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Leafs
Maple Leafs change lineup for Game 6 against Panthers, but double down on Matthews-Marner duo
Pontus Holmberg and Calle Järnkrok are expected to return to the Leafs lineup while coach Craig Berube said he believes in his two struggling stars.
As the belt's popularity grew, the team began posting the recipient on social media after each game to keep fans in the loop. And now, they've extended the tradition.
So far this post-season, 12 fans have had the Passion Belt — one for each game played. The hand-off usually happens at the Maple Leaf Square tailgate outside Scotiabank Arena, though accommodations can be made for fans who want to stay anonymous.
Each recipient chooses who to pass the belt to next, and is encouraged to pick someone based on positive social media content — ideally outside their immediate friend group.
Fans Pronio and Abowat with the belt.
supplied
Bilal Abowat, who passed the belt to Pronio, says he's been a Leafs fan for at least two decades. He made sure to bask in the glory during his time holding the belt.
As a wrestling fan, he brought it with him wherever he could. It even became a talking point at work. His mom was so intrigued, she posted it on Facebook. Before handing it off, he brought it to a pre-game dinner, where nearby diners were so impressed they tried it on for photos.
Dubbed the 'Passion Belt' online, the Leafs introduced the replica championship strap for fans before the playoffs began.
supplied
'It's a great initiative to really get fans involved,' he said. 'I have a ton of jerseys at home. I have a ton of merch from the Leafs, but a belt is something that's really cool and unique. I think it's really cool to mimic our favourite players on the team.'
Elizabeth Malcolm, who lives in Ottawa, is the belt's current holder. She was shocked — but excited — when her friend asked if she'd accept it.
Leafs
Opinion
Dave Feschuk: The good news for Game 6? The Leafs usually find a way to win when everybody gives up on them
It wasn't a death blow, but the Maple Leafs' humiliating 6-1 loss to the Panthers on Wednesd…
Her brother drove from Barrie to take her to the tailgate. At the Square, fans kept asking where she got it. One even showed her an eBay listing, thinking that's where it came from. (It's available from the online NHL shop for $905 before taxes.)
'There were a bunch of kids that were just reminding me why I like sports,' Malcolm said, who's driving back to the Square Friday night to pass on the belt. 'They were just there and still watching, hoping that the Leafs would do better while everyone else was, like, grumbling and leaving. So it was cute to have kids ask how I got it and where it's from. And when I say I got it from the team, they go, 'Wow! That's cool.' I'm like, 'Yeah, it is cool.'
Elizabeth Malcolm drove from Ottawa to get the belt at Maple Leaf Square.
supplied
Joe Ferguson also held the belt during the opening round against the Senators. Since the belt was 'really heavy,' he usually wore it around his waist, taking photos with it at different Toronto landmarks and even while walking his dog.
He said it was an honour to be recognized by another fan on social media for what he posts online.
'You get to kind of feel like you're an actual champion for a couple of days,' he said.
Joe Ferguson also held the belt during the opening round against the Senators.
Supplied
Beyond this year, fans want to see the tradition continue for the next playoff run. But as the team faces elimination on Friday, down 3-2 in their best-of-seven series against the Florida Panthers, they hope it sticks around a little longer this year.
What happens to the belt if they are eliminated? Fans will have to wait and see.
'Ultimately, I want to see it get passed around until the end of June,' Pronio said, 'when the boys lift the Cup.'
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