Maple Leafs collapse as Panthers punch ticket to conference final

Another spring, another heartbreak for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Maple Leafs’ 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs ended in a familiar chorus of boos and flying jerseys at Scotiabank Arena, as the Florida Panthers delivered a devastating 6–1 rout in Game 7 on Sunday night. It was a collapse that felt less like an anomaly and more like a cruel ritual — one that has defined the franchise’s modern era.

After racing out to a 2–0 series lead, the Leafs saw their Eastern Conference Semifinal slip away with alarming speed, losing four of the final five games, including back-to-back 6–1 blowouts on home ice. The defeat reopens long-standing questions about the mental fortitude, construction, and direction of a team that has now gone nine consecutive postseasons without reaching the Conference Final.

Panthers surge while Leafs stumble

Florida, led by head coach Paul Maurice — now a perfect 6–0 in Game 7s — turned the series on its head with speed, depth scoring, and unrelenting pressure. The Panthers scored three goals in a 6:24 stretch in the second period, overwhelming a Leafs squad that appeared flat, disjointed, and entirely unprepared for the moment.

Sergei Bobrovsky, a two-time Vezina Trophy winner, was scarcely tested, stopping 19 of 20 shots. At the other end, Joseph Woll faced 33 shots, and while the score could’ve been worse, the outcome was never in doubt. Toronto managed just three high-danger chances at even strength and spent long stretches hemmed in their own zone.

“They were the better team tonight,” Leafs head coach Craig Berube said post-game. 

“They were the more aggressive team. That’s what I take out of the game.”

Florida’s Game 7 offensive barrage came from all corners. Seth Jones, Anton Lundell and Jonah Gadjovich lit the lamp in the second period. Eetu Luostarinen, Sam Reinhart and Brad Marchand — with a milestone empty-netter — buried any hopes of a Toronto comeback in the third.

Sunday marked their seventh consecutive Game 7 loss since 2013 — the latest failure in a growing dossier of playoff futility. That history was felt in every deflated cheer and jeering chorus as the clock wound down in the third period.

Toronto’s early 2–0 series lead felt like a distant dream by Game 7, with the Leafs outscored 19–8 from Games 3 to 7. In the four losses during that stretch, Toronto looked outpaced and out-thought.

“It’s unacceptable,” said defenceman Morgan Rielly. “That’s the result you get when you don’t have your best stuff in the most important game of the season.”

Marchand’s masterclass of misery

Brad Marchand, long a villain in Toronto from his days with the Bruins, once again played the role to perfection — this time donning a Panthers sweater. He registered a goal and two assists in the win, including the empty-net dagger that marked his 150th career playoff point.

It was Marchand’s fifth Game 7 victory against the Maple Leafs — an NHL record for wins by one player against a single franchise in winner-take-all games.

“I enjoy playing against the Leafs,” Marchand said with a smirk. “I enjoy interacting with the fans. It’s fun… I love getting made fun of and I love making fun of people.”

Even as he tormented them on the ice, Marchand extended an unexpected olive branch off it.

“They’ve been building something big here for a while,” he said. “They’re getting crucified, and I don’t think it’s justified.”

Head coach Paul Maurice echoed the sentiment, calling the current Leafs “a much better team than we played two years ago.” That may be true, but the outcome remains depressingly familiar.

The core four no more

With another postseason flameout, the attention now shifts to Toronto’s core: Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and John Tavares. Collectively, they’ve led the Leafs to just two series wins in nine years.

Matthews — who led the league with 69 goals in the 2023-24 regular season — was held scoreless in Games 5 and 7. Marner, who becomes eligible for unrestricted free agency next summer, had a quiet series, recording just five points. Tavares and Nylander were similarly ineffective in Game 7, combining for just three shots on goal.

Berube, hired to instill structure and accountability, struggled to find answers.

“We didn’t execute in Game 5. We didn’t execute in Game 7,” he said. “It’s all between the ears.”

Despite having one of the NHL’s most talented rosters on paper, the Leafs continue to stumble under pressure. Since 2016, they’ve made the playoffs every year — and have failed to make it past the second round in all but one.

With Marner’s contract situation looming and Tavares entering the final year of his deal at age 34, GM Brad Treliving faces a crucial off-season. A trade involving a core player, long considered unthinkable, may now be on the table.

Panthers on the prowl

While Toronto descends into another off-season of soul-searching, Florida marches on. The Panthers have now won six consecutive playoff series, dating back to their run to the 2023 Stanley Cup Final.

Their success stems not from a singular superstar, but from a deep, balanced lineup. Seth Jones, acquired midseason, played over 23 minutes in Game 7 and effectively neutralized Toronto’s top threats. Anton Lundell has emerged as a dependable two-way force, while the likes of Gadjovich, Luostarinen, and Reinhart continue to produce timely goals.

In net, Bobrovsky remains the stabilizing force. After a shaky start to the series, he allowed just eight goals over the final five games, culminating in a near-flawless Game 7.

The Panthers will now meet the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final — a rematch of last year’s sweep. With Marchand’s playoff acumen, Bobrovsky’s consistency, and arguably the NHL’s deepest forward corps, Florida enters the next round as slight favourites.

Toronto’s fork in the road

Back in Toronto, there are no easy answers.

The Leafs failed to rise to the occasion on home ice — twice — and their best players once again went silent when the stakes were highest. For a franchise starved for a playoff breakthrough, another early exit feels like more than just a missed opportunity. It feels like the end of the line for this iteration of the team.

“I can’t explain Game 5 and Game 7 at home,” Berube said, shaking his head. “There are obviously things we have to look at and talk about as an organization.”

The time for talking may be over.

The Leafs have reached a crossroads, and the fanbase — bruised, loyal, and eternally hopeful — is demanding more than promises. They want proof. They want results. And after another spring spent watching someone else celebrate, they may finally be ready to see this core torn down.

For the Panthers, the journey continues.

For Toronto?

It’s back to the drawing board. Again.