Maple Leafs go down quietly in Game 7 as Panthers advance to Eastern Conference final
The Florida Panthers continue their dominant playoff run, advancing to the Eastern Conference final after a convincing 6-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7 of their second-round series. Eetu Luostarinen and Brad Marchand led the way with a goal and two assists each, while Seth Jones, Anton Lundell, Jonah Gadjovich, and Sam Reinhart also found the back of the net for the defending Stanley Cup champions. Aleksander Barkov contributed with two assists in the win.
The Panthers will now face off against the Carolina Hurricanes in the next round, with Game 1 set to take place in Raleigh, N.C. on Tuesday. On the other hand, the Maple Leafs are left to ponder another disappointing end to their season as they head into an uncertain offseason.
Despite taking a 2-0 series lead with back-to-back wins at home, the Leafs faltered down the stretch, losing three straight games to bow out of the playoffs. The team’s struggles in Game 7s continue, as they are now 0-7 in such scenarios and have failed to advance past the second round in the Auston Matthews-Mitch Marner era.
As Toronto looks ahead to the offseason, key decisions loom large. Marner is set to become an unrestricted free agent, while John Tavares also has an expiring deal. Team president Brendan Shanahan, who has been a staunch supporter of the team’s core group of forwards, is also without a contract beyond this season.
The Leafs will need to address their shortcomings and make tough decisions in order to build a team capable of making a deep playoff run. With the pressure mounting on the franchise’s star players, the offseason promises to be a crucial period for the organization as they look to turn the tide and finally break through in the postseason.
