After constructing a 2-0 lead on the Florida Panthers of their second-round sequence, the Toronto Maple Leafs are actually down 3-2 main into Friday’s Recreation 6 (8 p.m. ET, TNT).
Will this be the ultimate recreation of the Maple Leafs’ season? Or will they drive a Recreation 7 on Sunday?
Learn on for recreation previews with statistical insights from ESPN Analysis, a recap of what went down in Thursday’s video games and the three stars of Thursday from Arda Öcal.
Matchup notes
Toronto Maple Leafs at Florida Panthers
Recreation 6 | 8 p.m. ET | TNT
With the Panthers up 3-2 within the sequence, ESPN BET now lists them as -800 to win this sequence, with the Maple Leafs at +500. Florida’s Stanley Cup odds are actually +300, whereas Toronto’s are +2500.
The Panthers are 5-1 all time when main 3-2 in a seven-game sequence. The one loss got here within the 2012 playoffs in opposition to the Devils. The Maple Leafs are 6-18 all time when trailing a sequence 3-2.
In Recreation 5, 14 totally different Panthers registered factors, which is probably the most gamers to take action in a single playoff recreation in franchise historical past. Florida has had 17 totally different gamers rating a purpose this postseason, which breaks a single-postseason franchise file set in 1996.
Along with his fourth multipoint recreation of the playoffs, the Panthers’ Sam Reinhart is considered one of six gamers to hit that benchmark within the 2025 playoffs.
The Panthers haven’t trailed for 170:10 of recreation time since Carter Verhaeghe’s tying purpose 5:17 into the second interval of Recreation 3.
Toronto’s Auston Matthews has zero targets in his previous 5 video games, which ties the longest goalless drought of his playoff profession (different occurrences have been in 2021 and 2023).
Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz is probably going out for Recreation 6, turning the crease again over to Joseph Woll, who gave up 5 targets on 25 photographs in Recreation 5.
Öcal’s three stars from Thursday
The possible Vezina Trophy winner made 22 saves in a 4-0 win, which is his second straight house shutout on this sequence.
Scheifele scored the opening purpose in Recreation 5 and added an help on Nikolaj Ehlers’ power-play purpose within the second. He now has three targets in potential elimination video games, which is probably the most in Thrashers/Jets 2.0 franchise historical past.
Andersen has been nice for the Canes. He gave up only one purpose on 19 photographs within the series-clinching win over the Capitals, and allowed simply six targets whole within the Hurricanes’ 5 video games in opposition to Washington.
Thursday’s recaps
Carolina Hurricanes 3, Washington Capitals 1
CAR wins 4-1, performs winner of TOR-FLA
With a spot within the Japanese Convention finals on the road for Carolina — and a continuation to not less than Recreation 6 the motivation for the Capitals — the 2 groups battled in an impressed contest. Canes captain Jordan Staal received on the board first, however Washington’s Anthony Beauvillier answered 4 minutes later. The groups remained tied 1-1 till lower than two minutes remaining when Andrei Svechnikov fired one previous Logan Thompson. With the online empty, the Caps couldn’t get the equalizer, and Seth Jarvis sealed the cope with an empty-netter with 27 seconds to play. Carolina now awaits the winner of Maple Leafs-Panthers within the convention finals. Full recap.
0:38
Seth Jarvis’ purpose secures sequence win for Canes
Seth Jarvis notches a clutch purpose to to safe the sequence win over the Capitals.
Winnipeg Jets 4, Dallas Stars 0
DAL leads 3-2 | Recreation 6 Saturday
Needing a win to stay alive, the Jets received an emphatic one, backstopped by a 22-save shutout by Connor Hellebuyck. Mark Scheifele received Winnipeg on the board first, together with his fourth purpose of the playoffs at 6:17 of the second interval. Nikolaj Ehlers added a power-play tally 2:20 into the third, with Vladislav Namestnikov becoming a member of the celebration at 12:07. With the online empty for Dallas, Ehlers added an empty-netter to cap issues off and ship Winnipeg followers house completely satisfied. Dallas has one other likelihood to complete the sequence off at house Saturday — if not, Recreation 7 will probably be Monday, again in Winnipeg. Full recap.
0:42
Nikolaj Ehlers’ empty-netter secures Recreation 5 for the Jets
Nikolaj Ehlers scores the game-sealing empty-netter to safe the Recreation 5 win for the Jets over the Stars.
