Toronto forced a Game 7 after Friday's 2-0 shutout victory in Florida, having lost the last three before that. However, the Buds have had serious issues in game sevens in recent times. Those struggles continued throughout this contest.
The first period was largely uneventful, though the Panthers outshot their opponents 21 to 13. There was only one penalty in the opening 20 minutes, which was given to the Leafs for having too many men on the ice. Having successfully killed that two-minute minor just before the intermission, some may have thought it could have turned the momentum in the hosts' favour. Anyone who thought so could not have been any more wrong.
It took Florida three minutes and change after the intermission to get on the board. Stealing the puck in their defensive zone, Evan Rodriguez played in Seth Jones, who created space for himself before firing it into the opposite top corner past Joseph Woll.
Four minutes later, the Panthers undid the Leafs once more. Eetu Luoristarinen put a shot on goal that was denied by Woll. The rebound fell to Anton Lundell, who finished from close range to double the visitors' lead. The fans at the Scotiabank Arena were silent as the Florida players celebrated.
It would only get worse for the Leafs two minutes after that. A pass was easily cut out by Jones. While his shot was stopped, it was another rebound won by the guests. This time, A.J. Greer picked out Jonah Gadjovich, who finished his chance and made it 3-0.
The second period would end with Florida outshooting the Maple Leafs 28-7. At this point, there was little hope for the home team to get back into the game. However, they would get one back to open the final frame. Bobby McMann played a lead pass to Max Domi, who shot it through Sergei Bobrovsky's legs and in. Given the fact there were just under 18 minutes left, there was some hope.
That bit of belief lasted about 47 seconds, as Florida added a fourth in response. Brad Marchand put a shot towards goal that was tipped by Luostarinen past Woll. Just like that, the Leafs were down by three goals once more.
The Panthers put the finishing touches on the series in the final period, as they added two more to round out another big win on the road. First, Sam Reinhart took a shot immediately after a face-off to get the fifth goal. Then, with three minutes left, Marchand scored an empty netter.
It is the sixth straight Game 7 that Toronto have lost as their season comes to a nightmarish end at home. For the 12th playoff run in a row, they have failed to get past the second round. As for Florida, they will partake in the Eastern Conference finals for the third straight year. This time, they meet the Carolina Hurricanes, who topped the Washington Capitals 4-1 in their series. The first game will be on Tuesday.
