Maple Leafs Edge Panthers 5-4 in Playoff Opener

The Toronto Maple Leafs edged the Florida Panthers 5-4 in Game 1 of their second-round Stanley Cup playoff series, with William Nylander scoring twice and adding an assist to help build an early lead. The tightly contested game saw both teams trading goals, with Toronto holding off a late Panthers push. An incident involving Panthers forward Sam Bennett elbowing Maple Leafs' Anthony Stolars in the head went unpenalized, prompting criticism from Toronto's coach. The series is a rematch of last year's second round, which Florida won en route to their first-ever Stanley Cup, but this time Toronto aims to capitalize on its momentum after a rare second-round appearance. Game 2 is set to take place in Toronto before the series shifts to Florida. Both teams are considered strong contenders, with fans expecting a closely fought battle.