Panthers headed to conference final after ending Leafs' season in OT
Nick Cousins scored the overtime winner as the Florida Panthers held off the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 in Game 5 on Friday to advance to the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since 1996.
Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky played a key role in the victory, turning aside 50 of 52 shots.
Maple Leafs forward William Nylander netted the equalizer with less than five minutes remaining in regulation to force the extra frame. Toronto defenseman Morgan Rielly thought he tied the game earlier in the contest with his second goal of the middle frame, but the initial no-goal call was upheld upon review because the referee deemed the play dead before the puck crossed the line.
Aaron Ekblad and Carter Verhaeghe also found the back of the net for the Cardiac Cats.
The Maple Leafs failed to score more than twice in a game throughout the series and were largely stymied by Bobrovsky, who saved 7.64 goals above expected at all strengths in five contests, per Natural Stat Trick.
Toronto beat the Tampa Bay Lightning to break out of the first round for the first time since 2004, but the team has failed to find any other playoff success with its current core of players.
Despite that, some of the Maple Leafs made it clear that they want to stay the course.
"We all got years left on our contracts," Mitch Marner said postgame, per Sportsnet's Luke Fox. "I mean, I don't know. It's not up to us, but we got a lot of belief in this group. We got a lot of belief in that core. It sucks right now, but I got belief."
Rielly agreed with his teammate.
"I love these guys. I don't want any change," he said, per TSN's Chris Johnston.
The Panthers eliminated the Presidents' Trophy-winning Boston Bruins in seven games in the opening round.
Maple Leafs fans made waves for chanting, "We want Florida!" after Toronto eliminated the Bolts. Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk was pleased that his team was able to make them eat their words.
"We don't hear many 'We want Florida's' at this moment right now, and God, does that feel good," he said after Game 5, per TSN. "To do it in (Toronto), that's a big one, and that's an important one for us and our franchise."
Florida will take on the Carolina Hurricanes, who punched their ticket to the conference final after beating the New Jersey Devils in Game 5 on Thursday.
The Panthers and Hurricanes have never squared off in a playoff series, but there are still some connections between the two teams. Carolina captain Jordan Staal will face his brothers, Eric and Marc. Florida bench boss Paul Maurice was head coach of the Hurricanes franchise for parts of 13 seasons, dating back to the 1995-96 Hartford Whalers.