Game 7 of the second round of the NHL playoffs between the Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs is tonight at 8 p.m. ET at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It will be broadcast on TNT, TruTV, and streamed on Max.
It's been a back-and-forth series between these divisional rivals, so of course we have to wrap it up with a Game 7. Toronto took a 2-0 lead to begin the series, only for Florida to win three straight and pin the Leafs in the hole on Friday night. With Toronto shutting out the Cats on their home ice, we now head to the Hockey Mecca to conclude the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Check out my Panthers vs. Maple Leafs predictions and NHL picks for May 18, 2025.
Florida Panthers vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Odds
| Panthers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +200 | 5.5 136o / -162u | -130 |
| Maple Leafs Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -245 | 5.5 136o / -162u | +110 |
- Panthers vs. Maple Leafs puck line: Panthers -1.5, Maple Leafs +1.5
- Panthers vs. Maple Leafs over/under: 5.5
- Panthers vs. Maple Leafs moneyline: Panthers ML -130, Maple Leafs ML +110
Florida Panthers Preview: Hunting Their Prey
The defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers had a chance to close the book on the Maple Leafs at home, but it wasn't enough.
It's safe to say that the Panthers were a little sleepy. Perhaps they were even a little cocky walking onto home ice against a team that seemed defeated.
The opportunities were there, though. Florida went on the power play four different times and squandered them all — an all too familiar situation in this series.
With the man advantage, Florida has gone 4-22 in this series, which is good enough for 18%, a far cry from its season-long 23.5% success rate.
According to NaturalStatTrick, though, the Leafs just wanted it more. They out-willed the Panthers with 13 high-danger chances as opposed to Florida's six in Game 6. Toronto's 5-on-5 play was also exemplary, with a 56.54 xGF%.
Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has been a little spotty in these playoffs. Games 4 and 5 were what we normally expect out of the veteran, stopping 54 out of 55 shots. However, in Game 6, they only managed to stop 15 out of 17, which was enough to eat the loss.
Florida will need its top dogs to step up. It seemed like Carter Verhaeghe and captain Aleksander Barakov were the only ones who had some jump on Friday. It'll need more from Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, and Sam Reinhart.
Tkachuk, Bennett, as well as Brad Marchand need to find a way to get under Toronto's skin again, the way they did in Game 5. I've always thought of the Leafs' top guys as somewhat of a fragile core, so I think those three can do some damage to their psyches.
Toronto Maple Leafs Preview: Backs Against the Woll
I gotta be honest, I thought the Leafs were dead in the water (if you tailed my Game 6 bet, I'm sure you rolled your eyes reading this).
There was a jump that not many were expecting to see from the Leafs.
Secondly, we need to acknowledge the outstanding performance from Joseph Woll, who posted a shutout when he and his team needed it most.
Joe Cool stayed calm and collected all night and was unfazed by any of the shenanigans Florida was trying to throw at him.
But this isn't uncharted territory for the sophomore netminder.
Against these very Florida Panthers in the 2023 playoffs, Woll posted a 24-save effort to keep his Maple Leafs alive for his first playoff win.
We also saw the awakening of "El Capitan," Auston Matthews, with not only his first goal of the series, but the game-winner.
The only looming issue that we have to keep an eye on is the status of Matthew Knies. Knies, who has had a major impact in the postseason for Toronto, fell victim to a lower-body injury after a reverse hit from defenseman Niko Mikkola.
Knies never left the game, but his presence waned. He hardly made a difference after he went down, and coach Craig Berube still doesn't know if we'll see him tonight. UPDATE: Knies will be playing.
Maple Leafs vs. Panthers Prediction, Pick
There's something to be said about Game 7 unders.
Barring the two Game 7s we witnessed in the West this postseason, it's more likely to get a low-scoring game.
Prior to this season, the previous seven Game 7s all went under 5.5 goals. Considering how strong Woll has been and how Bobrovsky hasn't let in more than two goals in the past three games, a low-scoring duel is certainly attainable.
Knowing the Panthers, they'll most likely start off luring Toronto to play their tight-checking game.
Whether that sticks throughout the game remains to be seen. However, given the stakes, I think it's more likely than not that a tight-checking battle will carry on throughout the rest of the game.
Given that the books are onto us, though, we're seeing unprecedented lines.
You usually never see a total line below 5.5 in hockey, but today, we have a straight 5 in both BetMGM and Caesars at plus-money. For ESPN Bet and DraftKings, the line is set at 5.5, but the prices aren't as juicy as I was hoping for.
So, if you want to go a simpler route, I suggest taking the under at either of the 5.5 options, since a regular 5 doesn't tickle me as much.
But to get solid value, I'm picking the under in the first 10 minutes of the game on DraftKings, just because I think this will be a feeling-out process for both teams.
Pick: Under 5.5 (-162) OR Under 0.5 in First 10 Minutes (-110)
How to Watch Maple Leafs vs. Panthers
- Location: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Date: Sunday, May 18, 2025
- Puck Drop: 7:30 p.m. ET
- TV/Streaming: TNT
