TORONTO – Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky was a giant purpose why Florida dispatched the Toronto Maple Leafs in a tidy five-game playoff sequence two years in the past.
His post-season return to Toronto was not as easy.
William Nylander scored on the Maple Leafs’ first shot and added one other purpose later within the interval as Toronto beat Florida 5-4 within the second-round playoff sequence opener on Monday evening.
“Clearly it wasn’t a terrific begin by us,” stated Panthers ahead Aleksander Barkov. “We knew they had been going to come back onerous and powerful.”
Bobrovsky, who didn’t converse to reporters after the sport, allowed 4 targets by the sport’s halfway level. He completed with 24 saves.
“We didn’t appear to be ourselves,” Florida head coach Paul Maurice stated of his crew’s opening stanza. “After which (we) righted it within the second and after that had a fairly good push within the third.”
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Nylander scored from a good angle and was left alone in entrance for his second purpose. Morgan Rielly made it a 3-1 sport late within the first interval when he beat Bobrovsky with a wrist shot to the brief aspect on a 2-on-1 break.
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Chris Tanev made it 4-1 with a knuckler from the purpose that floated in by way of site visitors. The Panthers minimize Toronto’s result in 4-3 on targets by Eetu Luostarinen and Uvis Balinskis, however Matthew Knies restored the Leafs’ cushion when he scored on a breakaway with six minutes left.
Seth Jones received Florida on the board late within the first interval and Sam Bennett made it a one-goal sport with 1:55 left within the third.
Florida killed all 5 minor penalties and scored on one in all three power-play alternatives.
“We executed rather well on the PK,” Barkov stated. “We go on the market, we had a (power-play) purpose and we did rather well. (Bobrovsky) is there for us each single second, in order that helps too.”
The 36-year-old Russian netminder made 50 saves in his final playoff sport at Scotiabank Area in ’23, a 3-2 additional time win that eradicated the Maple Leafs. The 2-time Vezina Trophy winner didn’t permit greater than two targets in any of the 5 video games towards Toronto that 12 months.
The Panthers went on to comb the Carolina Hurricanes to succeed in the Stanley Cup remaining for the second time in franchise historical past. Florida misplaced to the Vegas Golden Knights in 5 video games however hoisted the trophy a 12 months later with a seven-game win over the Edmonton Oilers.
The Panthers completed third within the Atlantic Division this previous season, 10 factors behind the first-place Maple Leafs.
Florida dispatched state rival Tampa Bay in 5 video games whereas Toronto wanted six video games to knock off provincial rival Ottawa.
Recreation 2 within the best-of-seven second-round sequence is scheduled for Wednesday in Toronto. The sequence will shift to the Sunshine State on Friday for Recreation 3.
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Could 5, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
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