Sunrise, Florida – The Toronto Maple Leafs are still alive, and another match 7 is on the horizon.
Auston Matthews scored his first goal in the second round of the playoffs to break a tense dead end and give the Leafs a 2-0 victory.
After being humiliated in match 5, the Leafs went out with the energy required to start match 6. Several leafs injuries during the second period were suspended from them, but they kept the Florida Panthers at a distance while the Stanley Cup champions pushed the game halfway. Finally, Matthews has pierced with a goal that is among the biggest and most necessary of his Leafs career.
Max Pacioretty then sealed the agreement with a late objective of the third period.
Max Pacioretty does it 2-0 for Toronto 🤩 #Stanleycup
🇺🇸: @Nhl_on_tnt & @SportSonmax ➡️ https://t.co/4tuyiati3t
🇨🇦: @Sportnetnet or broadcast on sportsnet + ➡️ https://t.co/4kjbdjvctf pic.twitter.com/clf6ayxzlz– NHL (@nhl) May 17, 2025
Although it is almost struck off after match 5 and working on a tight match 6, the Leafs will have another chance of maintaining their season alive and, again, starting to change the story surrounding their main and recent disappointments of the playoffs.
Matthews finally scores
When the winner of the Rocket Richard 2023-24 trophy burst into the panthers area with speed in the third period, you could practically feel a bitter bank arena. Matthews had been suffocated throughout the series, and the pressure that surrounded him to produce had increased, especially in the second round of the playoffs.
But with a quick wrist in Sergei Bobrovsky’s legs, Matthews pierced. On his credit, Matthews never seemed defeated the day after match 5. He supported this with the kind of goal that his team needed to stay in the series. That his celebration was a less joy and more relief said a lot about the place where Matthews and the Leafs are in the series. It was the third goal of the Matthews qualifiers in his career in an elimination match. And with him, the leafs and their fans base undoubtedly felt a jolt of confidence that they might not have felt in days.
Auston Matthews 🍁 #Stanleycup
🇺🇸: @Nhl_on_tnt & @SportSonmax ➡️ https://t.co/4tuyiati3t
🇨🇦: @Sportnetnet or broadcast on sportsnet + ➡️ https://t.co/4kjbdjvctf pic.twitter.com/qp0qciyfsn– NHL (@nhl) May 17, 2025
Knies’ injuries persist on the game of leafs
After taking an inverted blow from the defender of the 6 -foot 6 -inch Niko Mikkola panthers behind the net of the panthers at the end of the first period, Matthew Knies appeared in serious discomfort on his return for the second period. The leaf playoff interpreter has continuously favored its left side on the bench. Knies did not seem to be effective when he was on the ice: he stopped on the SoC and was barely decisive with the washer in the offensive zone. The use of Knies for the second period ended up challenging logic: Bobby Mcmann has taken changes on the upper line, and Pacioretty replaced Knies on the leaf power unit, but Knies played on the penalty.
You can understand why Knies would like to stay in the game – he has built a reputation as a hard and committing attacker who has won a more important role. But giving him quarters of work always seemed to hinder the team. If Knies was not as effective as it could have been, other players could have used more ice time.
“He is dealing with something here that happened. And we have to look at him and see how he feels tomorrow,” said Leafs coach Craig Berube.
Woll is high
There is something in the water for Joseph Woll in the south of Florida. In match 4 against the panthers in 2023, Woll maintained the Leafs season alive with a decisive effort at 24 sponges for his first victory in the playoff series. After arresting 35 of the 37 shots in match 4 this year to establish itself more reliable in the playoffs, Woll had quietly another stellar effort in match 6.
By following the rings well, keeping its rebounds under the control and generally looking pending in order, Woll launched its very first bleaching in the playoffs. He stopped the 22 shots he faced.
He did not necessarily have to make discounts, but it was in a way: Woll was his best calm and composed when the leafs needed him. The panthers made a serious push in the second period, but Woll never looks disconcerted.
His performance also occurs after authorizing a gentle goal in match 5. No leaf had a match to remember, but Woll is fired in the process of mentally. If match 6 proved something, it is because it is not the case.
Panthers’ pp struggles
You can count on the panthers revising the band before match 7 to find answers for their power game.
This series could be finished if they were just a better tick with the advantage of man.
Florida went 0 for 4 in Friday’s match to spend its total to 4 for 22 (18.2%) in the series. This included two missed opportunities in the first period of match 6 and an ineffective look in the third period after having lagged 1-0. With this chance of gold to equalize the score, it could not even be set up in the offensive zone.
Panthers were higher than average with the advantage of humans in the regular season, connecting to 23.5% of their opportunities to sit 13th in the League.
Earlier in the series, Florida coach Paul Maurice said that he loved his team’s process in these situations, even if the results did not happen. Panthers now have 36 hours to make adjustments to an effective leaf penalty.
Panthers in essential games
Even with all the success that the panthers have experienced in recent years, they have had problems with the closing games.
They wasted an advance of 3-0 at Edmonton’s Oilers in the last Stanley Cup final before prevailing in match 7. They missed a chance to eliminate the Lightning of Tampa Bay during the round 1 during this championship race and a chance to send the Boston Boston Bruins 2 before completing the work in the two series.
It will be a critical experience for them to rely while heading towards Scotiabank Arena for match 7 after missing a chance to push the leafs in their summer.
Florida did not expect Toronto to take place quietly in this series – Brad Marchand predicted that 6-1 defeat in match 5 “would (leafs) hungry to have a rebound game and prove that many people were wrong, which is a very dangerous combination” – and the teams fought it in a game 6.
As for the best way to approach an essential game, panthers think they have the formula.
“I just think that is the idea that you don’t have to change to try to adapt to the game,” said veteran defender Nate Schmidt. “The match will come to you, and you must understand that you must be ready for this, but do not try to go out and make additional secret games to win.”
Match 7 is waiting for Sunday evening.
“There are a lot on the line,” said Berube. “Everything is at stake.”
(Photo of Auston Matthews, on the right, celebrating a goal with Morgan Rielly, on the left, and Matthew Knies: Carmen Mandato / Getty Images)
