The Maple Leafs have gone from the driving force’s seat to the brink of elimination.
Sergei Bobrovsky made 31 saves because the Florida Panthers dismantled Toronto 6-1 to take a 3-2 lead within the groups’ second-round playoff collection Wednesday
Jesper Boqvist, with a objective and an help after sitting the final two video games as a wholesome scratch, Aaron Ekblad, Dmitry Kulikov, Niko Mikkola, A.J. Greer and Sam Bennett scored for the Panthers.
Sam Reinhart and Nate Schmidt added two assists every for the defending Stanley Cup champions. Ekblad added an help for a two-point evening.
Bobrovsky’s shutout streak of 143 minutes 25 seconds courting again to the third interval of Recreation 3 was damaged late in regulation, as Nick Robertson acquired the comfort objective for Toronto.
Joseph Woll allowed 5 targets on 25 photographs earlier than getting the hook in one other ugly efficiency throughout the board from the listless Leafs, who led the Atlantic Division matchup 2-0 earlier than three straight losses which have pushed them to the sting. Matt Murray completed in aid with six saves.
Recreation 6 shall be performed Friday evening at Amerant Financial institution Area in Dawn, Fla. Recreation 7, if essential, can be again at Scotiabank Area on Sunday.
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll (60) reacts after being scored on by the Florida Panthers through the third interval of Recreation 5. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press)
The Panthers opened the scoring in a dominant opening interval the place they held a determined edge.
Florida, which blanked Toronto 2-0 in Recreation 4 at dwelling, discovered a well beyond Woll at 14:38 when the Leafs misplaced a string of puck battles earlier than Ekblad fired his second objective of the playoffs upstairs.
The Leafs netminder held the fort forward of that breakthrough earlier than the house facet acquired its first likelihood on a William Nylander breakaway that Bobrovsky denied along with his glove. Simon Benoit then fired simply broad off the frenzy.
Toronto ahead Scott Laughton hit the publish a minute into the second, but it surely was all downhill from there.
Kulikov made it 2-0 at 6:08 when his level shot went off Laughton’s stick and beat Woll for his first.
Leafs star winger Mitch Marner — a pending unrestricted free agent July 1 — then flung a hopeful go up the center that Florida simply picked off within the impartial zone.
Reinhart rapidly turned the opposite approach and fed Boqvist, who was within the lineup for the injured Evan Rodrigues. Boqvist then tapped dwelling his first objective since Jan. 25 after Marner did not decide up the ahead on the frenzy at 10:05.
Mikkola made it 4-0 inside a surprised Scotiabank Area at 14:01 when he blasted his first of the playoffs on a shot that Woll will need again.
Toronto head coach Craig Berube put his fourth line out to begin the third interval — a transparent message to the crew’s core of star forwards led by Marner, Nylander, Auston Matthews and John Tavares.
The Leafs acquired an influence play, however one other disjointed effort by no means threatened Bobrovsky.
Matthew Tkachuk hit the publish on a Panthers’ man benefit on the different finish earlier than Greer made it 5-0 along with his first at 6:23. At that time, quite a few followers headed to the exits — and one tossed a Matthews jersey onto the ice.
Murray, who final made a playoff look in 2020 with the Pittsburgh Penguins, took over from there and allowed Florida’s sixth to Bennett on an influence play at 9:09.
The battered and bruised Leafs, who acquired on the board with 66 seconds left in regulation when Robertson lastly beat Bobrovsky, will now get on a airplane Thursday with their backs towards the wall.
Lineup selections
Toronto made two adjustments up entrance, with Robertson and centre David Kampf drawing in. Calle Jarnkrok and Pontus Holmberg have been scratched.
Boqvist subbed in for Rodrigues after he took a giant hit in Recreation 4 — the play was whistled for interference — from Leafs defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
Blind facet
Aleksander Barkov, Florida’s captain and primary centre, was crushed from behind into the boards by Max Domi within the dying seconds of Recreation 4.
He was requested for his perspective on the hit Wednesday morning that resulted in a melee on the last buzzer and a $5,000 US nice for the Leafs ahead.
“I did not see it,” Barkov stated with a smile. “It is playoff hockey, so issues occur.”
