TORONTO – William Nylander bought the Maple Leafs off to a flying begin within the second spherical of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The crew will now await phrase on one in all its key items.
Nylander scored twice within the first interval earlier than including an help as Toronto constructed a giant lead early earlier than hanging on late to down Florida 5-4 and take Recreation 1 on Monday night time.
The Leafs misplaced goaltender Anthony Stolarz within the second interval after he took an elbow to the top from Panthers ahead Sam Bennett, who wasn’t penalized on the play.
The netminder stayed in his crease for a couple of minutes in opposition to the defending champs — Toronto stretched its result in 4-1 — however was seen vomiting on the bench throughout a TV timeout earlier than exiting.
The Leafs mentioned the 31-year-old was being evaluated, however offered no additional replace.
“Elbow to the top,” Leafs head coach Craig Berube mentioned. “Clear as day.”
“I get it, they miss calls,” he added. “Nevertheless it’s clearly a penalty.”
Florida reverse Paul Maurice, who had Stolarz final season when he backed up Sergei Bobrovsky on the best way to the franchise’s first title, mentioned the referee was “standing proper there” and didn’t deem the sequence an infraction.
“He noticed it,” Maurice mentioned. “(I’m) longing for Anthony and his well being. We love that man and we hope he will get higher actual quick.”
Matthew Knies and Chris Tanev, with a purpose and an help every, and Morgan Rielly offered the remainder of the offence for the Leafs. Stolarz made eight saves earlier than he departed.
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Joseph Woll stopped 17 pictures in aid. Max Pacioretty and Jake McCabe added two assists apiece to open the groups’ best-of-seven sequence.
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“We’ve been in tight video games all through the season,” Nylander mentioned. “We dug into that and tried to bear down.”
Bennett, Seth Jones, Eetu Luostarinen and Uvis Balinskis replied for the Panthers. Bobrovsky stopped 24 pictures. Brad Marchand and Carter Verhaeghe had two assists every.
“There’s no surprises right here,” mentioned captain Aleksander Barkov, whose crew trailed 3-1 after 20 minutes. “They got here out slightly higher than us. However we did some good issues.”
Florida, which can have suspended defenceman Aaron Ekblad out there for Recreation 2 on Wednesday, beat Toronto in 5 on the identical stage of the 2023 post-season on the best way to creating the Cup ultimate. The Panthers went one step additional 12 months later once they hoisted hockey’s holy grail.
Toronto opened Monday’s scoring inside a rocking rink simply 33 seconds after puck drop when Nylander beat Bobrovsky by the five-hole for his fourth purpose of the playoffs.
The Leafs, who beat the Ottawa Senators 4-2 within the first spherical to register simply the second sequence win for the Unique Six franchise in additional than 20 years, went up 2-0 at 12:51 when Nylander scooped up a Bobrovsky rebound earlier than deking the goaltender to the ice and roofing his second of the interval.
“He got here out and was feeling it,” Rielly mentioned of the slick winger. “That helps set the tone.”
Jones bought the guests on the board with a shot by site visitors on an influence play at 16:57 for his second after Toronto was whistled for too many males.
However the house aspect restored its two-goal lead simply 19 seconds later when Nylander despatched Rielly off to the races on a 2-on-1. The defenceman and longest serving member of the present roster regarded Bobrovsky off earlier than firing previous the netminder’s blocker for his third.
Florida, which beat the Tampa Bay Lightning in 5 video games to advance, bought a person benefit within the second that noticed Stolarz make a few stops, however Bennett caught him with that elbow.
“We knew coming into this sport that they have been gonna be bodily, chippy,” Knies mentioned.
Toronto made it 4-1 at 7:50 when Tanev’s knuckling shot from distance fooled Bobrovsky.
Stolarz was then caught by tv cameras being sick by the bench a couple of minutes later earlier than getting changed by Woll.
“It’s a mixture of concern for him and on the identical time getting ready to play,” mentioned Woll, who final noticed motion April 17.
“Joe did an awesome job,” Tanev added. “That’s not a simple factor to do.”
Berube danced across the query when requested if Bennett ought to obtain supplemental self-discipline from the NHL.
“As much as the league,” he mentioned. “They’ll do what they suppose is critical.”
Luostarinen lower the deficit again to 2 on a redirection 1:41 into the ultimate interval together with his second. Balinskis then made it 4-3 at 4:30 inside a immediately tense constructing.
Toronto failed to attach on two energy performs later within the third earlier than Knies made it 5-3 with six minutes left in regulation on a backhand breakaway transfer for his fourth.
Florida, nonetheless, wouldn’t go away.
Bennett bought the Panthers again inside one with 1:55 left in regulation on a pinballed shot off a Toronto stick for his fourth with Bobrovsky on the bench, however Woll and the Leafs held the fort late to safe an early lead within the sequence.
“That was good for us,” Nylander mentioned. “However we’re simply centered on subsequent sport now.”
Together with the well being of their No. 1 goaltender.
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Might 5, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
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