Maple Leafs-Panthers series expected to start Monday
Published
The second round playoff series between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers is expected to start Monday night in Toronto.
TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston notes that the start date is not officially confirmed.
"Not 100% confirmed yet, so don't go making (or breaking) any important plans, but the expectation seems to be that Game 1 of the Leafs-Panthers series will go Monday night in Toronto," Johnston wrote on social media on Friday.
The Maple Leafs booked their ticket to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Thursday in Canada's capital after a 4-2 victory in Game 6 of their series against the Ottawa Senators. The Panthers defeated the rival Tampa Bay Lightning in five games in their series.
Toronto's result marked just the second series win during their current nine-year run of postseason appearances. Their previous series win came in 2023 when they eliminated the Lightning in six games in the opening round before falling to the Panthers in five games in the second round.
The Leafs finished first in the Atlantic Division this season with 108 points, 10 points better than the defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers, who finished third. Toronto dropped three of their four games against Florida in the 2024-25.
The Maple Leafs' last appearance in the Eastern Conference Final came during the 2001-02 season when they fell to the Carolina Hurricanes in six games.
The Washington Capitals and Hurricanes will go head-to-head in the other Eastern Conference series.