The Florida Panthers will need to regroup and respond on the road if they hope to punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference Final. After a 2–0 loss to Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 6, the series is now tied 3–3. Despite a determined effort from Matthew Tkachuk, who was held off the scoresheet, Florida now faces the pressure of a winner-take-all Game 7 in Toronto.
Maple Leafs delivered one of its most disciplined performances of the postseason, anchored by a flawless showing from goaltender Joseph Woll, who stopped all 22 shots for his first career playoff shutout. Matthews broke the deadlock midway through the third period, followed shortly by Max Pacioretty, who added insurance with his eighth career playoff goal.
Matthew Tkachuk, the Panthers’ emotional leader and top-line forward, was unable to make a mark on the scoresheet, finishing the game with no points and a minus-1 in just over 20 minutes of ice time. After the game, Tkachuk gave credit to the Maple Leafs’ structure and urgency.
“You saw it. They took care of one on our home ice,“ Tkachuk admitted postgame. “They played really well. They did what they’ve been doing all series—blocking shots, sacrificing their bodies. Then they get one in the third and shut it down from there.”
Panthers shift focus
Though Florida missed its first chance to eliminate Toronto, Tkachuk emphasized the team’s perspective has already shifted toward redemption. The Panthers were once down 0–2 in the series and stormed back—now, they face a similar challenge.
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“At the end of the day, we were down 2–0 in this series,” he said. “We would’ve loved to finish it tonight, but we’re not going to sit here and pout. Game 7 is an opportunity to make a name for ourselves again.”
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The final chapter of this heated second-round series will unfold on Sunday night at Scotiabank Arena, where the Maple Leafs will host Game 7 at 7:30 p.m. ET. With everything on the line, both clubs will be looking to write a defining moment in their postseason journey.
