The Florida Panthers, the defending champions, are staring down a do-or-die Game 7 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Friday’s game was a wake-up call. After a flat 2-0 loss in Game 6 at home, you’d think the Panthers might be rattled. But Matthew Tkachuk? He’s grinning, ready for the challenge.
The Panthers looked lifeless in the first period, mustering just two shots on goal. They sparked to life in the second, peppering Toronto’s Joseph Woll with nine shots in a flurry that had the Sunrise crowd roaring. But the energy fizzled. Florida went 0-for-4 on the power play, and Auston Matthews, who had not scored an NHL playoff goal against Florida in 11 games, broke the tie in the third. Max Pacioretty sealed it, and Woll’s 22 saves earned him his first playoff shutout.
Toronto’s desperation was palpable—they’d just been smoked 6-1 in Game 5. That loss lit a fire, and they played like a team with nothing to lose. For Florida, it was a rare off-night. “It seems like we play in a big Game 7 every year, so maybe this is that game,” Matthew Tkachuk said after the game, as tweeted by Jameson Olive, Sr. Digital Content Manager for Panthers on ‘X’, making his confidence practically contagious.
“We were down 2-0 in this series, so we would’ve loved a Game 7 and this opportunity,” Tkachuk said, shrugging off the defeat. “We’re not going to sit here and pout about it. It’s an opportunity to make a name for ourselves again. We enjoy these games and enjoy these moments.” The stakes? A ticket to the Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes is on the line. History’s on Florida’s side—they’re 3-1 in Game 7s, including 2-0 on the road, with wins in Pittsburgh (1996) and Boston (2023). Toronto, meanwhile, is 12-15 in Game 7s, 7-3 at home, and they’ve dropped six straight, with their last win coming in 2004 against Ottawa.
Tkachuk: “At the end of the day, we were down 2-0 in this series, so we would’ve loved a Game 7 and this opportunity. We’re not going to sit here and pout about it. It’s an opportunity to make a name for ourselves again. We enjoy these games and enjoy these moments.”
— Jameson Olive (@JamesonCoop) May 17, 2025
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