Stanley Cup playoffs: Preview for Maple Leafs-Panthers Game 6

   

After building a 2-0 lead on the Florida Panthers in their second-round series, the Toronto Maple Leafs are now down 3-2 leading into Friday's Game 6 (8 p.m. ET, TNT).

Will this be the final game of the Maple Leafs' season? Or will they force a Game 7 on Sunday?

Read on for game previews with statistical insights from ESPN Research, a recap of what went down in Thursday's games and the three stars of Thursday from Arda Öcal.

With the Panthers up 3-2 in the series, ESPN BET now lists them as -800 to win this series, with the Maple Leafs at +500. Florida's Stanley Cup odds are now +300, while Toronto's are +2500.

The Panthers are 5-1 all time when leading 3-2 in a seven-game series. The only loss came in the 2012 playoffs against the Devils. The Maple Leafs are 6-18 all time when trailing a series 3-2.

In Game 5, 14 different Panthers registered points, which is the most players to do so in a single playoff game in franchise history. Florida has had 17 different players score a goal this postseason, which breaks a single-postseason franchise record set in 1996.

With his fourth multipoint game of the playoffs, the Panthers' Sam Reinhart is one of six players to hit that benchmark in the 2025 playoffs.

The Panthers have not trailed for 170:10 of game time since Carter Verhaeghe's tying goal 5:17 into the second period of Game 3.

Toronto's Auston Matthews has zero goals in his past five games, which ties the longest goalless drought of his playoff career (other occurrences were in 2021 and 2023).

Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz is likely out for Game 6, turning the crease back over to Joseph Woll, who gave up five goals on 25 shots in Game 5.