Maple Leafs force Game 7 with 2-0 victory over Panthers
The Toronto Maple Leafs win Game 6 2-0 against the Florida Panthers, forcing a Game 7 in their second-round series. Auston Matthews and Max Pacioretty were the goal scorers for Toronto in the third period. It was Matthews' first second-round goal of his career.
Joseph Woll records a shutout stopping all 22 Florida shots. It is Woll's first playoff shutout of his career.
Game 7 is Sunday night in Toronto. Read more below about the Maple Leafs' Game 6 victory.
Maple Leafs in second-round Game 7s
The Toronto Maple Leafs are undefeated in second-round Game 7s as a franchise. But they lost in Game 7 last year to the Boston Bruins in the first round.
Since 2010, the Maple Leafs are 0-6 in Game 7s. Their last Game 7 win was 2004.
Can it change on Sunday? It's going to be a memorable one.
Panthers in must-win games
Even with all of the success the Panthers have had in recent years, they’ve had some trouble with closeout games.
They squandered a 3-0 lead to the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final last spring before prevailing in Game 7. They missed on one chance to eliminate the Tampa Bay Lightning in Round 1 during that championship run and one chance to send the Boston Bruins home in Round 2 before ultimately getting the job done in both series.
That will be critical experience for them to draw on while heading on the road to Scotiabank Arena for Game 7 after missing one chance to push the Leafs into their summer.
Florida didn’t expect Toronto to go quietly in this series — Brad Marchand predicted the 6-1 loss in Game 5 would “make (the Leafs) hungrier to have a bounce back game and prove a lot of people wrong, which is a very dangerous combination” — and the teams battled it out in a tense, tight and physical Game 6.
As for how best to approach a must-win game, the Panthers feel they have the formula.
“I just think it’s the idea that you don’t have to change to try and adapt to the game,” said veteran defenseman Nate Schmidt. “The game is going to come to you and you have to understand that you have to be ready for it, but not try and go out and do extra special secret plays in order to win.”
Game 7 awaits on Sunday night.
Panthers’ PP struggles
You can count on the Panthers reviewing tape before Game 7 to try and find some answers for their power play.
This series might be over if they were just a tick better with the man advantage.
Florida went 0-for-4 in Friday’s game to drop their total to 4-for-22 (18.2 percent) in the series. That included two missed opportunities in the first period of Game 6 and an ineffective look in the third period after they’d fallen behind 1-0. With that golden chance to tie the game, they were unable to even get set up in the offensive zone.
The Panthers were above average with the man advantage during the regular season, connecting on 23.5 percent of their opportunities to sit 13th in the league.
Earlier in the series, Florida coach Paul Maurice said he liked his team’s process in those situations, even if the results weren’t coming. They’ve now got 36 hours to make some adjustments against an effective Leafs penalty kill.
Joseph Woll stands tall
There’s something in the water for Joseph Woll in South Florida. In Game 4 back in 2023 against the Panthers, Woll kept the Leafs season alive with a decisive 24-save effort for his first playoff win. After stopping 35 of 37 shots in Game 4 this year to further establish himself as dependable in the playoffs, Woll quietly had yet another stellar effort in Game 6.
By tracking pucks well, keeping his rebounds under control and generally looking poised in goal, Woll pitched his first-ever playoff shutout. He would stop all 22 shots he faced.
Woll didn’t necessarily have to make any highlight-reel saves, but that’s sort of the point: He was at his calm and composed best when the Leafs needed to be. The Panthers made a serious push in the second period, but Woll never looked fazed.
His performance also comes after allowing a soft goal in Game 5. Yes, no Leaf had a game to remember, but Woll being pulled had the potential to linger over him mentally. If Game 6 proved anything, it’s that it did not.
Knies injury lingers over Leafs play
After taking a reverse hit from 6-foot-6 Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola behind the Panthers net late in the first period, Matthew Knies appeared in serious discomfort once he returned for the second period. The Leafs’ emerging playoff performer continually favored his left side on the bench. Knies hardly looked effective when he was on the ice: He pulled up on the forecheck and he was hardly decisive with the puck in the offensive zone. Knies’ usage for the second period ended up defying logic: Bobby McMann would take shifts on the top line and Max Pacioretty replaced Knies on the Leafs’ top power-play unit, but Knies would play on the penalty kill.
You can understand why Knies himself would want to stay in the game — he’s built a reputation as a tough, engaging forward who has earned a bigger role on the team. But giving him shifts still seemed to hamper the team. If Knies wasn’t as effective as he could have been, there were other players who could have used more ice time.
Matthews finally scores
When the reigning Rocket Richard Trophy winner broke into the Panthers zone with speed in the third period, you could practically feel Amerant Bank Arena tense up. Auston Matthews had been stifled throughout the series and the pressure surrounding him to produce had risen, especially in the second round of the playoffs.
But with a quick wrist shot through the legs of Sergei Bobrovsky, Matthews broke through. To his credit, Matthews never sounded defeated in the aftermath of Game 5. He backed that up with the kind of goal his team needed to remain in the series. That his celebration was one less of joy and more of relief said a lot about where Matthews and the Leafs are at right now in the series. It was Matthews’ third playoff goal of his career in an elimination game. And with it, the Leafs and their fan base undoubtedly felt a jolt of confidence they might not have felt in days.
Auston Matthews making Leafs history
Auston Matthews became the second captain in Leafs history to score the game-winning goal when facing elimination, following Darryl Sittler in Game 6 of the 1976 Quarterfinals.
Update on Matthew Knies
Craig Berube says he isn't sure if Matthew Knies will be healthy enough to play Game 7. No specifics provided on his injury.
Craig Berube on Game 7: 'Everything is on the line'
Craig Berube coached the St. Louis Blues to a Stanley Cup with a Game 7 win over the Boston Bruins. He has some experience coaching in these big games.
"There's a lot on the line. Everything's on the line."
Craig Berube: 'We played a simple game tonight'
Craig Berube was simple in his postgame news conference about Toronto's Game 6 victory. He was impressed with the Maple Leafs' ability to "manage the puck."
"We played a simple game tonight," Berube said. "We were determined."
On Auston Matthews: "He plays 200 feet for me. Touches all areas of the game. Got a big goal for us."
Max Pacioretty: 'We were patient in our game'
Max Pacioretty has played in a lot of big games. He scored another critical goal tonight in a Game 6.
"We were patient in our game," Pacioretty said. "We didn't deviate."
On the Game 5 loss, Pacioretty said, "You flush it. We knew we had so much better."
On Auston Matthews scoring: "Just a huge huge goal."
Auston Matthews on team's Game 6 win: 'Gutsy'
Auston Matthews broke the ice tonight with a critical third-period goal for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He called his team's performance tonight "gutsy."
"Just a gutsy win all around," Matthews said to Sportsnet postgame. "The job is not done yet."
Bobby McMann: 'Playing the right way'
Bobby McMann praised his team's start to Game 6, coming out with confidence to shut out the Florida Panthers.
"We were playing the right way," McMann said.
On playing in a Game 7: "It should be fun."
Goaltending stats
Toronto:
- Joseph Woll: 22 saves on 22 shots (1.000 SV%)
Florida:
- Sergei Bobrovsky: 15 saves on 17 shots (.882 SV%)
Joseph Woll: 'A lot of confidence in our group'
Joseph Woll, after recording his first playoff shutout, praised his group's ability to respond after a disappointing Game 5.
"A lot of confidence in our group," Woll said on how he's feeling after Game 6. He stopped all 20 Florida Panthers shots.
Final stats
Shots:
- Toronto: 17
- Florida: 20
Hits:
- Toronto: 34
- Florida: 55
PIM:
- Toronto: 8
- Florida: 4
Faceoff %:
- Toronto: 61.4 percent
- Florida: 38.6 percent
Faceoffs won:
- Toronto: 27
- Florida: 17
Blocked shots:
- Toronto: 26
- Florida: 10
Clutch game from Auston Matthews
The Leafs got the game they needed from Auston Matthews. The game-winning goal that broke a 0-0 tie and a dominant effort controlling the puck.
Woll with first career playoff shutout
Joseph Woll is the first Leafs goaltender to post a shutout in a game when facing elimination since Curtis Joseph in Game 5 of the 2002 conference finals.
FINAL: Toronto wins Game 6
P3 0:00 - Maple Leafs 2, Panthers 0
The Toronto Maple Leafs win Game 6 and will force a Game 7 Sunday night. Joseph Woll records his first playoff shutout.
What a win!
