Panthers Rout Maple Leafs 6-1 to Reach Third Straight Eastern Conference Final

The Florida Panthers convincingly defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-1 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, advancing to their third consecutive Eastern Conference final where they will face the Carolina Hurricanes. Key contributors for the Panthers included Eetu Luostarinen and Brad Marchand, who each had a goal and two assists, along with Seth Jones, Anton Lundell, Jonah Gadjovich, and Sam Reinhart scoring goals. Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky played a strong game with 19 saves, while the Leafs' Joseph Woll struggled, allowing multiple goals during a dominant second period by Florida. Toronto, despite leading the series 2-0 initially, lost momentum as Florida won three straight games before the decisive victory, continuing the Leafs' struggles in Game 7s during the Matthews-Marner era. The series loss has raised questions about the future of Toronto’s key players, including Mitch Marner, John Tavares, and team president Brendan Shanahan, as the team faces an uncertain offseason. The Panthers' defense of their Stanley Cup continues with a series against Carolina starting Tuesday.