SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Auston Matthews hadn’t scored against Florida in more than a year. He ended the drought — and might have saved Toronto’s season in the process.

Matthews got his first goal of the series to break a scoreless tie in the third period, Joseph Woll stopped 22 shots and the Toronto Maple Leafs kept their season alive by beating the Florida Panthers 2-0 in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series Friday night.

kAm“yFDE 2 8FEDJ[ 8FEDJ H:?[” |2EE96HD D2:5]k^Am

kAmv2>6 f 😀 $F?52J ?:89E 😕 %@C@?E@] %96 H:??6C H:== 7246 r2C@=:?2 😕 E96 t2DE 7:?2=]k^Am

kAm“(6 A=2J65 2 D:>A=6 82>6 E@?:89E[” {627D 4@249 rC2:8 q6CF36 D2:5]k^Am

kAm$:>A=6[ 3FE 67764E:G6] %@C@?E@ 3=@4<65 b` D9@ED[ A=FD <:==65 @77 2== 7@FC u=@C:52 A@H6C A=2JD]k^Am

kAm|2I !24:@C6EEJ 25565 2? :?DFC2?46 8@2= 7@C E96 |2A=6 {627D[ H9@ :>AC@G65 E@ c\a H96? 724:?8 6=:>:?2E:@? D:?46 E96 DE2CE @7 E96 a_ab A=2J@77D]k^Am

kAm$6C86: q@3C@GDA:@?D H9@ @55=J 2C6 @?=J g\f 😕 A@E6?E:2= 4=@D6@FE 82>6D @G6C E96 =2DE E9C66 A@DED62D@?D]k^Am

kAm“*@F H:? @C J@F =62C?[” !2?E96CD 42AE2:? p=6

kAmu=@C:52 4@249 !2F= |2FC:46 😀 d\_ 😕 v2>6 fD[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 7:?2= 82>6 @7 =2DE D62D@?’D $E2?=6J rFA u:?2=] %96 !2?E96CD 2C6 b\` 2==\E:>6 😕 E96 F=E:>2E6 82>6 @7 2 D6C:6D — a\_ @? E96 C@25 — H9:=6 E96 |2A=6 {627D 92G6 =@DE 6249 @7 E96:C =2DE D:I v2>6 fD] ~7 E9@D6[ 7@FC H6C6 282:?DE q@DE@? 2?5 ?@H\!2?E96CD 7@CH2C5 qC25 |2C492?5]k^Am

kAm“(6’C6 ?@E 8@:?8 E@ D9@H 2?J G:56@ @7 E9@D6 v2>6 fD[Q |2FC:46 D2:5] Q(6’== =@@< 2E @FC 82>6 E@?:89E 2?5 D66 H96C6 H6 42? 86E 36EE6C]”k^Am

kAmxE H2D E96 egE9 82>6 @7 E9:D D62D@?’D A=2J@77D — 2?5 @?=J E96 D64@?5 E92E H2D _\_ 27E6C c_ >:?FE6D] %96 @E96C H2D (65?6D52J ?:89E[ H96? t5>@?E@? H@F?5 FA 6=:>:?2E:?8 ‘682D H:E9 2 `\_ G:4E@CJ 😕 @G6CE:>6 😕 v2>6 d @7 E92E (6DE6C? r@?76C6?46 D6>:7:?2= D6C:6D]k^Am

kAm%@C@?E@ 925 7:G6 8@2=D 😕 v2>6 `[ 7@FC >@C6 😕 v2>6 a 2?5 925 E9C66 3J E96 62C=J 8@:?8D @7 E96 D64@?5 A6C:@5 @7 v2>6 b] p55 :E FA[ 2?5 E92E H2D `a 😕 32D:42==J E96 7:CDE D6G6? A6C:@5D @7 E96 D6C:6D]k^Am

kAmuC@> E96C6[ %@C@?E@ 925 >2?2865 32D:42==J ?@E9:?8 — F?E:= |2EE96HD 3C@<6 E9C@F89]k^Am

kAm%96 %@C@?E@ 42AE2:? H2D _ 7@C b` @? D9@ED 282:?DE u=@C:52 E9:D D62D@?[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 C68F=2C D62D@?] q@3C@GDAED 96 925 D66? 😕 E96 D6C:6D] p?5 E96 |2A=6 {627D 925?VE 925 E96 =625 😕 32D:42==J E96 6BF:G2=6?E @7 b `^a 82>6D — a`e >:?FE6D[ b_ D64@?5D[ E@ 36 AC64:D6]k^Am

kAmqFE H96? 2 A2DD 8@E 2H2J 7C@> u=@C:52VD p2C@? t<3=25[ |2EE96HD 925 2 D=:89E @A6?:?8 — 2?5 E92E H2D 2== 96 ?66565] p =@H D9@E D<:EE6C65 2=@?8 E96 :46 2?5 362E q@3C@GD

kAm“xEVD 2 3:8 H:?[ 7C@> E@A E@ 3@EE@>[” |2EE96HD D2:5] “(6 62C?65 E92E]”k^Am

k9C ^m

kAmp! }w{ A=2J@77Di k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^DE2?=6J\4FAQm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^DE2?=6J\4FAk^2m 2?5 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^?9=Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^?9=k^2mk^Am







Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.