The Toronto Maple Leafs have done it. They silenced the noise, handled the pressure, and won an elimination game. Down 3-2 in the series after leading 2-0, and just one shot away from going up 3-0, this team could have folded. After a brutal Game 5, it looked like they might. But in Game 6, they showed up. Right from the jump, they were ready, and it showed on both sides of the puck.
After a scoreless 40 minutes, Auston Matthews broke through and scored the biggest goal of his playoff career. Just a few minutes later, veteran Max Pacioretty buried another to give the Maple Leafs a 2-0 lead. In the final five minutes of the game, Joseph Woll and the rest of the team held strong and shut down any push from the Florida Panthers. That secured Woll’s first career playoff shutout, and more importantly, forced a Game 7.
May 16, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) celebrates with teammates after scoring against the Florida Panthers during the third period in game six of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Can the Maple Leafs play the way they did in Game 6 and finally put to rest the idea that this team can’t perform under pressure? Or will they cave under the weight of a Game 7 and cement their place in this city’s history as a group that couldn’t handle the noise? We find out tonight. So, potentially for the last time this season, enjoy the game day preview before puck drop. If we’re lucky, we’ll have more games next week.
Maple Leafs News:
Unfortunately, Matthew Knies was hurt in Game 6, and it clearly impacted his play. He stayed in the game and took some shifts, but looked to be in a lot of pain after the first period. Head coach Craig Berube confirmed earlier this morning that Knies will play in Game 7. There was no update on the severity of the injury or whether he’s playing through something more serious, but for now, he’s expected to remain on the top line.
Toronto Maple Leafs Playoff Record: 7-5 Series Record: 3-3
Florida Panthers Playoff Record: 7-4 Series Record: 3-3
Top 5 Scorers:
Sam Reinhart: 3 G, 7 A, 10 P
Sam Bennett: 6 G, 3 A, 9 P
Matthew Tkachuk: 3 G, 6 A, 9 P
Anton Lundell: 3 G, 6 A, 9 P
Brad Marchand: 2 G, 7 A, 9 P
Goalie Stats:
Sergei Bobrovsky: 7-4, 2.43 GAA, .898 SV%
Projected Lineups
There are just projections, these lineups are subject to change before the drop of the puck.
Toronto Maple Leafs:
Matthew Knies — Auston Matthews — Mitch Marner Pontus Holmberg — John Tavares — William Nylander Bobby McMann — Max Domi — Max Pacioretty Steven Lorentz — Scott Laughton — Calle Jarnkrok
Morgan Rielly — Brandon Carlo Jake McCabe — Chris Tanev Simon Benoit — Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Joseph Woll Matt Murray
Scratched: Dakota Mermis, Philippe Myers, Nicholas Robertson, Dennis Hildeby, David Kampf, Ryan Reaves, Artur Akhtyamov
Injured: Jani Hakanpaa (lower body), Anthony Stolarz (undisclosed)
Florida Panthers:
Jesper Boqvist — Aleksander Barkov — Sam Reinhart Carter Verhaeghe — Sam Bennett — Matthew Tkachuk Eetu Luostarinen — Anton Lundell — Brad Marchand A.J. Greer — Tomas Nosek — Jonah Gadjovich
Gustav Forsling — Aaron Ekblad Niko Mikkola — Seth Jones Nate Schmidt — Dmitry Kulikov
Puck drop is set for 7:30 tonight. The Maple Leafs bounced back in Game 6 with a 2-0 shutout win — and now it’s time for this core to slay the demons and win a Game 7 to advance to the Conference Finals against the Carolina Hurricanes.
They have a real chance to wipe the slate clean and show this fan base how badly they want it. One game. Sixty minutes. That’s it. Play your best and get the win — and earn that 2002 rematch.
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Spencer covers the Toronto Maple Leafs and NHL at the Hockey Writers. He has been writing for four years and loves to bring quality content to his readers.
