Florida Panthers eliminate the Toronto Maple Leafs in 5

After an incredibly dominant series played by the Florida Panthers, the Toronto Maple Leafs have been ousted by the Panthers team in game five of the second round in the 2023 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, which had certain implications before the rivals met.

Unfortunately for the Maple Leafs, they could not get their offense going and were severely outplayed by the Florida Panthers in quite a dominant fashion after failing to carry over the momentum from the first series against the Boston Bruins.

How did the Florida Panthers compare to the Toronto Maple Leafs?

The Florida Panthers team kept its composure during the fifth game and played with poise. They also ensured that the pressure did not get to them even though they gave up a two-goal lead but came out strong on both ends of the ice and advanced to the third round.

The Toronto Maple Leafs did everything they could to figure out goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky but ultimately had no answer for the netminder.

Bobrovsky stood tall and was the story throughout the series. He has seven wins and two losses in these playoffs, with 330 shots against, 27 of which have gone in, leaving him with a 2.82 goals-against average, and a save percentage of .918.

His confidence between the pipes complemented his game and came out strong through all four games won.

Indeed, the Panthers’ gameplay was quite smooth and took advantage of the Maple Leafs. Not to mention, the offense displayed slick passing and picked its moments to score goals with ease.

The game five win was the defining moment for the Florida Panthers. It was a character win that built their confidence as a team to a new level. For the coaching staff, they have been the X-factor in leading this team to its Cinderella story.

After this series, the Toronto Maple Leafs will have some more reflecting to do, and it will be interesting to see how the offseason for the team unfolds this upcoming year.