Game 6 of the second round of the NHL playoffs between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers is tonight at 8 p.m. ET at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, FL. It will be broadcast on TNT, TruTV, and streamed on Max.
After starting the series with a 2-0 lead, the Maple Leafs find themselves in the hole, staring at elimination by the defending Stanley Cup champs. The Panthers, on the other hand, are one win away from their third consecutive trip to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Check out my Maple Leafs vs. Panthers predictions and NHL picks for May 16, 2025.
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Florida Panthers Odds
| Maple Leafs Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -135 | 5.5 -115o / -105u | +200 |
| Panthers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +115 | 5.5 -115o / -105u | -250 |
- Maple Leafs vs. Panthers puck line: Maple Leafs +1.5, Panthers -1.5
- Maple Leafs vs. Panthers over/under: 5.5
- Maple Leafs vs. Panthers moneyline: Maple Leafs ML +200, Panthers ML -250
Wake Up Call in The 6?
Welp, that was ugly.
I know the joke about the Maple Leafs is that they're consistently playoff chokers, but it seemed as if this season was different, especially after taking a 2-0 series lead over the Panthers.
Then Game 3 happened. And Game 4. And Game 5.
The loss of Anthony Stolarz hurts, there's no doubt, but it's not as if Joseph Woll is a bad goaltender. It was really about how poorly Toronto played in Game 5 and how the Panthers dominated the Leafs on home ice.
Auston Matthews has been invisible, Mitch Marner has one foot out the door, and apart from Game 3, John Tavares has been a non-factor.
The only players who have made any form of a difference have been William Nylander and Matthew Knies, who lead in scoring.
To add, the Leafs have statistically been the worst 5-on-5 team out of all eight teams in the second round. Luckily, they have an exceptional power play, but how much can they rely on the man advantage?
One thing is for sure: it's do or die for the Leafs, who are already under fire. Otherwise, this may be the end of the "Core Four."
How to Watch Maple Leafs vs. Panthers
- Location: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise, FL
- Date: Friday, May 16, 2025
- Puck Drop: 8 p.m. ET
- TV/Streaming: TNT
Cats in the Cradle
The defending champs are sitting pretty in the second round of these playoffs.
They're coming off three straight wins, and are ready to close it out in an arena in which they went 27-12-2 in the regular season and only lost once in the playoffs.
Florida's special teams have held strong throughout the postseason. While the power play has been fine, it's the penalty kill that has saved the Panthers' bacon. They're ranked second, killing penalties at an 88.9% rate, which is massive considering their opponent.
You could tell how much the Panthers were getting under Toronto's skin. Once the game was out of reach, it felt like there was a skirmish after every other whistle.
With a superstar like Matthew Tkachuk, who's known to ruffle some feathers and Sam Bennett, who contributed to putting Stolarz out of commission, it's no wonder why the Leafs are angry. They had the high ground, and now they're getting made to look like fools.
Maple Leafs vs. Panthers Prediction, Pick
The one thing that differentiates these two teams is grit.
It may sound silly, but when it comes to the playoffs, talent can only bring you so far. Just look at the Leafs for the past nine seasons. They've been among the elite, and yet can't get past the second round.
Florida, on the other hand, has the talent and has the bite to go with it — and the results speak for themselves. Two consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup Final, winning the most recent one, and now they are one win away from going to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Not only that, Florida is 8-6 in series-clinching games in the past three seasons, and three of those losses came last season, when they dropped three straight to Edmonton in the Cup Final last season.
I have a lot of confidence that the Panthers come out of this game as the victors, and even more so by a wide margin like Game 5.
Pick: Florida Panthers -1.5 (+115)
