The Toronto Maple Leafs and the Florida Panthers face off against each other for the final time this season. No game between these two is as important as this one. If the Maple Leafs win, they clinch home-ice advantage. However, if the Panthers win, they keep their spot in third place in the Atlantic Division. With only a handful of games remaining for both teams, the intensity in these games will be high—similar to playoff hockey—so buckle up.
Game Recap
Both teams came out flying with a ton of energy within the first five minutes. Both looked to be playing with purpose, which is what’s required in meaningful games this late in the season. For the first 10 minutes of the period, there were only two whistles due to the end-to-end play. Interestingly, there weren’t a ton of shots for either team—just a fast-paced game.
After the first TV timeout at the halfway mark in the first, the Panthers won the faceoff, and Gustav Forsling (11) beat Joseph Woll on a long-range wrist shot to give them a 1–0 lead. The faceoff win by Anton Lundell drew some debate, as John Tavares didn’t appear to get his stick down to engage in the draw before the Panthers won it back and scored. The first period ended with Florida outshooting Toronto 13–5, controlling the bulk of the play and holding a 1–0 lead.
The second period started with the Maple Leafs controlling play. They came out of the locker room looking very hungry. After a loose puck slid through the neutral zone, Tavares (37) picked it up and sniped it past Sergei Bobrovsky to tie the game 1–1. But after the Leafs took a penalty, the momentum shifted back to Florida, who got more zone time and more shots.
Toronto caught a break midway through the period with a Florida delay of game penalty. They had chances on the power play, but Bobrovsky stood tall. The Panthers even had a chance on the penalty kill when Brad Marchand had a breakaway, but Woll shut the door. The second period ended 1–1, with Florida again outshooting Toronto 14–9.
The third period opened with Florida scoring just 1:04 in, giving them a 2–1 lead—and more importantly, bringing the crowd back into it. Six minutes into the period, Seth Jones went to the box for tripping, sending Toronto to their second power play. Unfortunately, they couldn’t convert and continued to trail.
The third was by far the most intense period—scrums, end-to-end action, and playoff-like energy. The Maple Leafs had their chances but couldn’t beat Bobrovsky. With 1:45 remaining, they pulled the goalie for the extra attacker. But Carter Verhaeghe (18) sealed it with an empty-net goal, giving the Panthers a 3–1 lead.
They held onto that 3–1 score and beat the Maple Leafs, putting Toronto’s chance at home-ice advantage on hold—for now.
-1744724583-q80.webp "Super Bowl MVP Still Disrespected? Jalen Hurts SNUBBED Again by Former NFL QB!")
-1744426141-q80.webp "Temba Bavuma ruled out of WTC 2025 final vs Australia? South Africa in shock after reports")