The Toronto Maple Leafs have gone from commanding control to teetering on the edge of elimination.

Sergei Bobrovsky turned aside 31 shots, and the Florida Panthers overwhelmed Toronto with a 6–1 victory Wednesday night at Scotiabank Arena, seizing a 3–2 lead in their second-round playoff series.

Jesper Boqvist—returning to the lineup after two games as a healthy scratch—led the way with a goal and an assist, while Aaron Ekblad, Dmitry Kulikov, Niko Mikkola, A.J. Greer, and Sam Bennett all found the back of the net. Sam Reinhart and Nate Schmidt each chipped in two assists for the defending Stanley Cup champions.

Bobrovsky’s shutout streak, which had stretched to 143 minutes and 25 seconds dating back to Game 3, was finally broken with just over a minute remaining in regulation. But the damage was long done.

Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll surrendered five goals on 25 shots before being pulled in favor of Matt Murray, who made six saves in relief. Nick Robertson scored the lone goal for Toronto, a late consolation marker in an otherwise dismal night.

Panthers Pounce Early and Often

Florida set the tone early, dominating the opening period and finally breaking through at 14:38 when Ekblad wired his second of the postseason past Woll. Toronto had brief flashes—William Nylander was denied on a breakaway, and Simon Benoit missed wide off the rush—but Florida maintained the upper hand.

The floodgates opened in the second. Kulikov doubled the lead at 6:08 when his point shot deflected off Scott Laughton’s stick. Moments later, Mitch Marner committed a brutal turnover with a blind pass up the middle. Sam Reinhart picked it off and fed Boqvist, who capitalized at 10:05. Mikkola made it 4–0 just minutes later, beating Woll with a shot he’ll want back.

Frustration Boils Over

With the game spiraling, Leafs head coach Craig Berube sent a message by starting his fourth line in the third period—benching the star core of Marner, Nylander, Auston Matthews, and John Tavares to start the frame.

But the message didn’t ignite a spark. Florida’s Greer made it 5–0 at 6:23 of the third, prompting a stream of fans to exit early. One frustrated supporter threw a Matthews jersey onto the ice.

Matt Murray came in to mop up and allowed the sixth goal on a Panthers power play, with Bennett finishing the scoring at 9:09. Robertson’s late goal avoided a second consecutive shutout, but it did little to soften the blow.

Do-or-Die Time

Toronto, who once led this series 2–0, now faces a must-win Game 6 on Friday night in Sunrise, Florida. A potential Game 7 would be back on home ice Sunday—if the Leafs can manage to extend the series.

It’s now gut-check time for a roster with questions looming and patience in short supply.

Roster Moves and Injury Updates

• Toronto: Nick Robertson and David Kämpf re-entered the lineup, replacing Calle Järnkrok and Pontus Holmberg.

• Florida: Jesper Boqvist slotted in for Evan Rodrigues, who was injured on a hit from Oliver Ekman-Larsson in Game 4.

Barkov on the Domi Hit

Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov, who was hit from behind by Max Domi late in Game 4, brushed off the incident Wednesday morning.

“I didn’t see it,” Barkov said with a smile. “It’s playoff hockey, so things happen.”

Domi was fined $5,000 for the hit but avoided suspension.

Up Next:
Game 6 — Friday, May 16 at Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise, FL.
Puck drop: 7:00 p.m. ET