May 11, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34), defenseman Simon Benoit (2), right wing Mitch Marner (16) talk against the Florida Panthers during the first period in game four of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
The Toronto Maple Leafs dropped their second straight game at Amerant Bank Arena, falling 2-0 to the Florida Panthers on Sunday. With the loss, the series is tied 2-2, heading back to Toronto for Game 5.
Joseph Woll had his best playoff start in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, turning aside 35 of 37 shots in the game. The netminder kept the Leafs in it throughout the first two periods, but Toronto failed to find the back of the net and Florida doubled their lead in the third.
With an extra day off, Toronto has time to regroup, but they'll have to do so before Wednesday with the series now becoming a best-of-three.
1st period
At 2:04, Max Domi is called for a two-minute minor for high-sticking Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk, giving Florida the first man advantage of the game.
Matthew Knies went back to the dressing room following his last shift, killing off the remaining seconds of the Domi penalty. The 22-year-old went into the corner and was wedged between Panthers' Aaron Ekblad and Nate Schmidt.
UPDATE: Knies has since returned to the Leafs bench.
Florida gets its second power-play at 9:19 of the opening frame as Bobby McMann goes to the box for boarding Panthers' Carter Verhaeghe.
Defenseman Simon Benoit laid a big hit behind the net on Panthers' Sam Reinhart on the penalty kill before Joseph Woll made a sprawling pad save against Evan Rodrigues as Toronto managed to kill off its second straight infraction.
Captain Auston Matthews, who has yet to find the back of the net in the series, was robbed by Sergei Bobrovsky, who flashed the leather. The shot was Toronto's best chance of the period as the game remains scoreless.
The Leafs have struggled to stay disciplined in the first 20 minutes, taking their third and fourth penalties in the opening frame. Knies went to the box first at 13:38 for hooking before Oliver Ekman-Larsson picked up two minutes for delay of game (shooting the puck over the glass) at 15:36.
As a result, Verhaeghe capitalized at 15:45 to open the scoring in Game 4, giving Florida a 1-0 lead.
Toronto escapes a sloppy period down only a goal with the Panthers outshooting the Maple Leafs 15-4.
2nd Period
The teams traded chances to open the second period, including former Panther Steven Lorentz, who almost beat Bobrovsky over the shoulder.
The Maple Leafs were rewarded with their first man advantage of the game after Eetu Luostarinen took an interference penalty against Auston Matthews at 5:01. The top unit for Toronto was on for the penalty call and the entire power-play, but failed to find the equalizer despite a handful of high-quality scoring chances.
Woll has been steady for the Maple Leafs as the last line of defense in Game 4. The 26-year-old was able to control a couple of unfortunate bounces, leading to a Grade-A chance for Aleksander Barkov, keeping the game 1-0.
The netminder has been the Leafs' best player through a period and a half.
The Leafs get their second power-play of the period after Sam Bennett goes to the box for a tripping penalty against William Nylander at 10:10.
After a series of strong saves from Woll, Mitch Marner takes a penalty while the Leafs are on the man advantage. The 28-year-old was sent off for tripping at 11:13. Florida was all over the Leafs, despite playing down a man.
Dmitri Kulikov catches Marner with what appears to be an elbow to the head that goes uncalled. Marner does not seem impressed with the missed call.
Auston Matthews draws his second penalty of Game 4, sending Panthers' Anton Lundell to the box for tripping at 17:03. Toronto heads to their third power-play of the game.
The Leafs came up empty-handed again on the man advantage, and the game remains 1-0 after 40 minutes of action. The Panthers have outshot the Leafs 29-12 after two periods, with Woll making 28 saves.
3rd Period
Bennett, who elbowed goaltender Anthony Stolarz and sidelined him for Games 2, 3, and 4, bumps Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who falls over Woll. The netminder was seen holding his head, but got up with no injury.
Knies had a glorious opportunity to even the score early in the third, but Bobrovsky answered with the save for Florida.
Shortly after, Ekman-Larsson is given his second penalty of the game for interference on Rodrigues. Originally given five minutes, after review, Ekman-Larsson was given two minutes at 4:51 as Rodrigues went to the Panthers' dressing room.
Knies, who already has one breakaway goal in the postseason against Bobrovsky and the Panthers in this series, had the chance to do it again but sailed it high on a short-handed opportunity.
After a turnover in the neutral zone, Bennett doubles the lead for the Panthers with under eight minutes remaining in the game.
After the Leafs pulled their goalie with over 2:30 remaining, the club failed to score, dropping the contest 2-0. Following losses in Games 3 and 4, the series shifts back to Toronto for Game 5 on Wednesday, tied 2-2.
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