The Montreal Canadiens had a good season and capped it off with an unexpected playoff appearance, but that doesn’t mean the rebuild is over—far from it. To be genuine contenders, however, it may be time to acquire something besides prospects and very young players.

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Numerous rumours throughout the season have suggested that the New York Islanders may be open to trading Noah Dobson. The 25-year-old, six-foot-four, 200-pound defenseman has shown what he can do in this league in the past. He has played for parts of six seasons on Long Island, for 388 games, in which he gathered 230 points and 118 penalty minutes.

In 2023-24, he reached a career-high of 70 points in 79 games, not far off a point-per-game pace that is quite impressive for a blueliner, but he fell back to earth this season when he could only muster 39 points in 71 games.

He’s just played the third year of his three-year contract with a $4M cap hit. In February, he moved from Maloney & Thompson sports management to Wasserman Hockey, where his agents will be Judd Moldaver and Olivier Fortier. The latter will be leading the way. Fortier has two players contracted with the Canadiens: Owen Beck and Joshua Roy, both of whom are ELC contracts. He’s the agent who got Alexis Lafreniere a seven-year extension with a $7.45M cap hit annually. All of his clients, apart from Beck, are French-Canadians.  

Interestingly, Fortier is a former Canadiens prospect. The organization drafted him in the third round in 2007, but when he realized his NHL dream wouldn’t come to fruition, he gave up hockey to study law and joined Momentum Hockey, a Quebec-based agency that joined Wasserman Hockey last September.

While Dobson will be an RFA soon, I think Kent Hughes would rather make a trade with the Islanders than sign the defenseman to an offer sheet.  The Canadiens’ GM has traded with the Isles in the past, although business must be slow for the New York outfit as the search for a new GM to replace Lou Lamoriello continues.

The Canadiens currently hold two consecutive first-round picks at the 2025 draft, picking 16th and 17th. Hughes has already shown he’s not opposed to trading draft picks or young talent to fill a need. Hughes sent Alexander Romanov to the Islanders in his first draft at the helm for two picks: their first-round pick (at 13 overall) and a fourth-round pick (98th overall). Hughes then flipped those to the Chicago Blackhawks for Kirby Dach in his search for the ever-elusive second-line center.

Dobson’s profile fits the kind of projects Hughes likes to take on, although he could be a bit more expensive, having already shown he can succeed offensively in the NHL. A smooth skater and a player with a knack for launching an attack, he spent an average of over 23 minutes on the ice this season in New York. He would make an excellent partner for Lane Hutson and immediately shore up the Canadiens’ defense, especially with David Savard’s departure.

Would Hughes be able to sell him a “show me” deal like he did with Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook? Maybe, although the agency swap may mean he’s looking for a longer-term deal, if there’s anyone who can sell the Canadiens’ rebuild to a player, it’s Hughes. However, Dobson’s situation is particular, as he’ll be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2025-26 season, unless he signs a long-term pact. It remains to be seen if the Isles' new management wants to move Dobson, but the offer sheet remains an option if they don't.

---

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The Florida Panthers are gearing up for what should be one heck of a night.

Sunday will be Game 7 between the Panthers and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

It will be the biggest hockey game played in Toronto in decades, and Scotiabank Arena will be an absolute madhouse.

For the Panthers, they have been through these kind of stressful postseason situations several times over the past few years.

That experience goes a long way when it comes to preparing for a winner-take-all Game 7.

“From going through it together countless times, it’s comforting,” said Panthers forward Sam Reinhart. “You know what you’re going to expect out of the guy next to you, and that’s his best at a time like this. We’re excited for another opportunity to play in another big game like this.”

"The messages, chemistry, intensity and how we prepare for it is all the same,” added Cats defenseman Aaron Ekblad. “Nothing changes. It’s getting our bodies ready and feeling the best we can coming into it.”

Don’t be surprised to see a bit of a different look when the Panthers take the ice.

Florida Head Coach Paul Maurice rarely tweaks the roster after playoff wins, but he will often use losses to move players in and out of the lineup.

The infusion of players like Evan Rodrigues, who has been day-to-day while battling an injury, and skilled rookie Mackie Samoskevich, could provide a boost to the Cats.

Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Game 6 against the Maple Leafs:

Evan Rodrigues – Sasha Barkov – Sam Reinhart

Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk

Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Brad Marchand

Mackie Samoskevich – Nico Sturm – Jesper Boqvist

Gus Forsling – Aaron Ekblad

Niko Mikkola – Seth Jones

Nate Schmidt – Dmitry Kulikov

Scratches: A.J. Greer, Uvis Balinskis, Tomas Nosek, Jonah Gadjovich, Jaycob Megna

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Panthers Forward Has Powerful Message For Game 6

Photo caption: Photo caption: May 14, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Florida Panthers forward Eetu Luostarinen (27) and defenseman Seth Jones (3) congratulate defenseman Niko Mikkola (77) on his goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period of game five of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The Florida Panthers still have some work to do if they want to reach the conference final.

A win on Sunday night in Game 7 will punch Florida’s ticket to Raleigh, where the Carolina Hurricanes are waiting to find out who they’ll be matched up against.

Late Saturday, after the Dallas Stars knocked out the Winnipeg Jets to advance to the Western Conference Final, the NHL released the full schedule for both conference finals.

As we still don’t know if it will be Florida or Toronto facing the Hurricanes, the league released two options for the Eastern Conference.

Should Florida advance, Game 1 against Carolina would be Tuesday night at 8 p.m. from Lenovo Center in Raleigh.

Home games for Panthers fans to attend would be on Saturday, May 24, Monday, May 26 and Friday, May 30.

You can check out the full schedule below:

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Three takeaways: Panthers struggle getting shots through, Leafs penalty kill shuts Cats down

Panthers falter on home ice, heading back to Toronto for Game 7

The Hockey Show: Panthers looking to finish off Toronto, conference final matchups forming, new coaching hires

Panthers Forward Has Powerful Message For Game 6

Panthers Forward Out For Game 6 vs. Maple Leafs

Photo caption: May 18, 2023; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) reacts after scoring the game winning goal against the Carolina Hurricanes during the fourth overtime period of game one in the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images

The Dallas Stars defeated the Winnipeg Jets 2-1 in overtime in Game 6, eliminating the Jets and sending themselves to the Western Conference Finals for a rematch against the Edmonton Oilers. 

The first period ended scoreless, with little going on in terms of offence. The shots finished 6-4 in favour of the Stars.

The second period brought some offence by way of none other than Mark Scheifele, scoring the opening goal just mere hours after his father passed away. Unfortunately for the Jets, Sam Steel recorded his first goal of the postseason to tie the game. The period favoured the Jets, outshooting the Stars 12-8. 

Josh Morrissey awkwardly fell to the ice while tangled with Mikko Rantanen, forcing him to exit the game, and he did not return for the third period. 

In the third, Mason Appleton had a glorious chance to take the lead, but a last-ditch effort by Jake Oettinger stoned the Jets forward, keeping the game tied at a goal apiece. Connor Hellebuyck made a pair of his own highlight-reel saves in the third period, denying Mikael Granlund of a sure goal and Rantanen, sending the game to overtime. 

In overtime, the Stars capitalized on their power play opportunity, which carried over from the end of the period. Thomas Harley found space in the slot, hammering the game-winner past Hellebuyck and sending the Stars to the Western Conference Finals.

The Jets' season comes to an end at an earlier stage than the team and the fans were hoping for. The Jets struggled on the road, losing all six games throughout the first two rounds. The Jets now head into an offseason filled with question marks. With several free agents, the Jets' general manager, Kevin Cheveldayoff, will have his hands full. 

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After losing his father, Brad, overnight on Friday, Mark Scheifele scored a goal for the Winnipeg Jets to open the scoring in Game 6 against the Dallas Stars.

On Saturday evening, ahead of Winnipeg’s contest against the Stars, Jets coach Scott Arniel confirmed that Scheifele would still play, saying he “wants to play for (his dad).”

Just before the game, Arniel spoke about the team being motivated to play for Scheifele.

“Certainly, when life situations happen like this, they're hard on everybody. But you know what? Mark doesn't want those guys to hang their heads or be down. He wants a win. And that's what they're all talking about: ‘We want to get a win for Mr. Scheifele (and) get a chance to get ourselves back home to play Game 7.’ ”

Despite the death of Scheifele’s father still being raw, he gave the Jets a 1-0 lead in the second period.

The play started in the left corner of Dallas’ zone, where right winger Gabriel Vilardi won a puck battle. He found left winger Kyle Connor, who fired the puck on goal and Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger made a pad save, but the puck rebounded into the slot area. Scheifele picked up the puck and made no mistake from point-blank range.

Scheifele celebrated the goal with a smile on his face, followed by smiles and hugs from his teammates who were on the ice.  

THAT ONE WAS FOR DAD 💙 pic.twitter.com/gI5Zj2MeGd

— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) May 18, 2025

That was Scheifele’s fifth goal of the playoffs, and he now has 11 points in just as many games. This is his second goal of this second-round series, with his first goal coming in Game 1.

Scheifele’s moment is similar to when Martin St-Louis scored on Mother’s Day in 2014 after his mother, France, died. St-Louis’ goal was also the opener in Game 6.

Much like how Dallas leads the series 3-2, the Pittsburgh Penguins led the series with the same score, against St-Louis’ New York Rangers. New York went on to win the series in seven games.

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Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jalen Chatfield missed the team's Game 5 matchup against the Washington Capitals due to an undisclosed injury. The Hurricanes still picked up a victory without the right-shot defenseman in the lineup, defeating the Capitals by a 3-1 final score. With this, the Hurricanes knocked out the Capitals and advanced to the Eastern Conference Final.

Now, Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour has provided an update on Chatfield. While speaking to reporters, including the Raleigh News & Observer's Chip Alexander, the Hurricanes' bench boss said he is hopeful Chatfield will be to go for the Eastern Conference Final.

It would be great for the Hurricanes if Chatfield is given the green light to return at the start of the next round. The 29-year-old is an important piece of their blueline due to his smart defensive play and overall reliability. 

At this juncture, the Hurricanes are still waiting to find out if they will play the Toronto Maple Leafs or the Florida Panthers. The two Atlantic Division clubs play their Game 7 on May 18. 

Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if Chatfield is good to go for Game 1 next round. The five-year veteran appeared in 79 regular-season games this season for the Hurricanes, recording seven goals, 18 points, 64 hits, and a plus-22 rating. In nine games this post-season, he has one goal and a plus-9 rating. 

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Former Carolina Hurricanes forward Max Pacioretty has been quite impactful for the Toronto Maple Leafs this post-season, and this was undoubtedly the case in the Original Six club's Game 6 matchup against the Florida Panthers.

In a win-or-go-home Game 6 for the Maple Leafs, Pacioretty scored at the 14:17 mark of the third period. This insurance goal from the former Hurricane was massive for Toronto, as it gave them a 2-0 lead with a little over five minutes to go. 

Pacioretty's goal was a good one, too. After receiving a nice feed from Bobby McMann in front, Pacioretty one-timed home on the backend past Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. 

With this latest strong performance, Pacioretty now has three goals, eight points, and a plus-3 rating in 10 playoff games this year. This includes two goals and six points in the second round against the Panthers alone. It will now be interesting to see if Pacioretty can stay hot in Game 7 against the Panthers from here. 

In five games with the Hurricanes during the 2022-23 season, Pacioretty scored three goals and recorded an even plus/minus rating. 

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Adam Klapka played his first IIHF World Championship game on Thursday against Hungary but his second game on Saturday was more memorable. The 24-year-old Calgary Flames winger recorded two goals and an assist in an 8-1 victory over Kazakhstan.

He assisted on Jakub Flek’s goal early in the second period to make it 2-0 but waited until the third period to score his goals. Before that, he missed a couple of point-blank chances.

“Honestly, I was a little angry with myself,” he told the media after the game, according to Hokej.cz. “When you're alone in the slot, you should score because it doesn’t happen very often. I should convert these chances. But I’m glad I finally found a way to score.”

Did he ever. A minute into the third period, he picked up the corner deep in his own zone and went end-to-end, beating five Kazakhs and splitting the defense along the way to give the Czechs a 5-0 lead.

Klapper!

Co fanoušci mohli sledovat v letošním ročníku na farmě #Flames a poslední měsíce i v NHL.

Adam Klapka je strašně silný na puku a díky enormní pracovitosti herně dál roste.

Nádherný premiérový 🚨na #MensWorld pro 🇨🇿obra.

pic.twitter.com/pfzBUNpFjihttps://t.co/O62rS2VjYr

— Matěj Hejda (@matej_hejda33) May 17, 2025

“The defenseman hit my stick and the puck went up in the air,” he said about the finish. “I wanted to bury it under (the goalie) and I found a hole between the legs, so I put it there.”

His second goal closed out the scoring in the final minute.

“Flíček (Flek) wanted to pass it to me and it hit a Kazakh stick, so again from the air, I just wanted to try to put it past the goalie, and fortunately I did,” Klapka described.

“I really enjoyed it. It’s something you dream about when you watch the World Championship at home.”

Klapka wasn’t the only Czech to record three points in the game. Captain Roman Červenka, a former Flame, recorded a hat trick.

"I'm happy for him,” said Klapka. Roman is a professional and you can learn a lot from him. He’s the first to enter the locker room and the last to leave. I like watching how he takes care of himself – it’s inspiring. It’s incredible to enjoy time with him like this and be right there.”

Adam Klapka: “I knew deep down that I would play in the NHL one day”At 6-foot-8 and 236 pounds, Adam Klapka is a hard guy to miss. But the Czech winger managed to fly under the radar for much of his amateur career and even in his early years as a pro. He never played in the U18 Worlds or the World Juniors, was never drafted by an NHL team and at age 21, split the season between the Bílí Tygři Liberec of the Czech Extraliga and HC Benátky nad Jizerou of the tier-two Chance Liga.

With injured Jakub Lauko due back into the lineup at some point and speculation about the addition of David Kämpf to the Czech team if the Toronto Maple Leafs get eliminated on Sunday, Klapka doesn’t know if he’ll get the chance to play any more games in this tournament, but he’ll be ready if he does.

“It’s up to the coaches,” he said. “I tried to do my best in the two games I played. We’ll see how it goes. I’ll do what the coaches say and be ready for anything.”

Czechs Eyeing Kämpf If Leafs Lose Game 7; Hertl HurtCzechia still has a free forward spot on its World Championship roster and the team is apparently eyeing David Kämpf in the event the Toronto Maple Leafs lose Game 7 of their Stanley Cup second-round playoff series to the Florida Panthers on Sunday.

LA Kings General Manager Ken Holland sat down with LA Kings broadcaster Josh Schaefer and gave some noteworthy insight into how he plans to implement his new role with the franchise. 

When asked by Schaefer about how he intends to put his stamp on the team, Holland made it clear that he wasn't going to make a move just to be able to say that he did something. On the contrary, he emphasized that if the current roster built by Rob Blake was to go on to win the Stanley Cup next season he would be "thrilled".

While many LA Kings fans are very disappointed in the team's inability to advance to the second round of the playoffs, Holland drew parallels between LA and his previous team, the Edmonton Oilers.

“We went through the same process in Edmonton: lost in the first round to Chicago, lost in the first round to Winnipeg, but you stuck with it and you keep putting yourselves in that situation. That’s what's gotta happen here.”

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“We went through the same process in Edmonton: lost in the first round to Chicago, lost in the first round to Winnipeg, but you stuck with it and you keep putting yourselves in that situation. That’s what's gotta happen here.”

To be a LA Kings fan in 2025 is a classic "glass half-full, glass half-empty" situation. For some, four straight years of playoff failure is definitely an empty glass, whereas Ken Holland sits squarely in the half-full camp: "The most important thing over 82 is to qualify. And then things have got to happen in there internally: growth of some kids, maybe a move or an addition at the trade deadline.”

As every longtime Kings fan knows, it took "45 years for the Kings to wear their crown" and it has been 11 years since they lost won the Stanley Cup. The fan base is hungry to get back to that level, which is completely understandable. According to Holland's metric, however, the team is already doing the first step of the plan: qualifying for the playoffs every season.

The next step of the plan now falls upon Holland: winning playoff series. How long that will take and how much patience fans will have with the process remains to be seen: “It can’t be that the manager is going to make some blockbuster trade or some free agent signing, it might happen, but that’s not the only…odds are it’s not going to happen, it’s gotta be brick by brick.”

Now that the dust has settled on the latest first round flameout, can one begin to take stock of how much of this recent playoff failure is due to LA not playing up to the moment or is it more a question of Edmonton just being a very good team? They have ended up in the Western Conference Finals three out of the past five years, which probably doesn't happen by accident. The Oilers were also one good third period away from winning the Cup last year, despite having fallen into the dreaded 0-3 hole to start the series. Thus, a begrudging stick tap may be due for the Oilers, as hard as that may be for the inhabitants of The Kingdom.

Edmonton being good, however, shouldn't completely absolve the Kings of their failings. You have to beat good teams, even great teams if you want to win the Cup. There are no easy outs in the Western Conference. End of story.

Now it's up to Ken Holland to draft a new ending for the LA Kings. And as the esteemed Elliotte Friedman likes to say, "you always have a chance to rewrite the narrative."

Replacing someone isn’t easy.

For the Colorado Avalanche to replace Mikko Rantanen is even harder.

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There are several reasons why this is the case. For starter’s, 100-point players don’t grow on trees. You want your team to have as much firepower as possible. So, having players that can put the puck in the net or create the plays that make that possible are extremely vital.

Trading for a superstar is even more difficult (unless you are the Carolina Hurricanes or the Dallas Stars).

However, with free agency around the corner, there is one potential free agent who might be able to replace Rantanen. His name is Mitch Marner.

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What Does Mitch Marner Bring To The Table?

Marner is an elite playmaker who can provide a solid volume of secondary scoring. Over the past four seasons he has scored 35, 30, 26, and 27 goals. 

Playmaking is really the highlight of his game, shown by his penchant for racking up assists. Marner has collected 62, 69, 59, and 75 assists in the last four years.

In the 2024-25 regular season he led the Toronto Maple Leafs in points (102), assists (75), even-strength points (67), and powerplay points (33). Marner was first among Maple Leafs forwards with total time on ice per game (21:19) and shorthanded time on ice per game (2:09).

Toronto goal!

Scored by Auston Matthews with 13:40 remaining in the 3rd period.

Assisted by Mitch Marner.

Florida: 0
Toronto: 1#TORvsFLA#TimeToHunt#LeafsForeverpic.twitter.com/47B9bApp8E

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) May 17, 2025

The One Thing With Mitch Marner

The one knock against Marner right now is that he doesn’t have the same level of production in the playoffs as he does in the regular season. 

In my opinion, this is an unfair assessment of Marner. He has collected 13 points in 12 playoff games this season, and recorded 14 points in 11 games two postseasons ago.

It’s easy to argue that over his career he hasn’t been as successful as Rantanen in the playoffs. Rantanen has 120 points in 93 career playoff games to Marner’s 63 points in 69 games. 

But, you can always change your narrative.

One former Leafs forward, Zach Hyman, changed his narrative when he signed with the Edmonton Oilers. In 32 playoff games with the Leafs, he recorded 13 points. He’s played 64 postseason games with the Oilers and has put up 57 points.

Sometimes a change of scenery does a player wonders. Could Marner replace Rantanen? In the regular season, he probably could. The playoffs would offer him an opportunity to change the narrative surrounding him.

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Like a lot of us, NHL players are proud people. Their on-ice careers are their life’s work, and their ability to control what happens on the ice tends to carry over to their lives off the ice. 

That means, whenever possible, NHL players want to be the author of their exit from hockey’s best league in the world.

Of course, for the grand majority of NHLers, the end of their playing days comes too soon. A major injury, a series of minor injuries or a drop-off in overall skill level eventually catches up with them, and they’re forced to call it quits. Only for a precious few does this reality differ from the rest. And this is why we occasionally see NHL stars attempting to defy the odds and stage their own departure from the sporting scene.

Longtime Chicago Blackhawks star center Jonathan Toews seems to want to defy the odds. The 37-year-old former Hawks captain last played in the 2022-23 season, before taking time off to deal with his own significant health challenges. But rumors are beginning to swirl that he intends to return to action, with a Sportsnet report suggesting that Toews may be targeting a return to the NHL next season. And while the Sportsnet speculation has the Anaheim Ducks – and Toews’ former Blackhawks coach and new Ducks bench boss Joel Quenneville – being a possible destination for Toews, there may be a different market that could prove to be a better fit for him.

For instance, would Toews’ hometown team, the Winnipeg Jets, want to extend an opportunity to him? The Jets are surely going to be a better team than Anaheim will be next season, and the chance to perhaps finish his NHL career in front of friends and family may be exceedingly attractive to him.

Winnipeg’s excellent depth also means Toews could come in and serve as the Jets’ third-or-fourth-line center, and the ensuing lack of pressure to play big minutes right away and start putting up major points may also be a determinant in his decision on where to resume playing. And the chance to play perhaps one final season with a team that has a solid shot at winning a Stanley Cup for the three-time Cup-winner might be its best selling point for him.

In that 2022-23 campaign with Chicago, Toews generated 15 goals and 31 points in 53 games, so teams need to adjust their expectations accordingly for him if he does stage a comeback next year. And maybe Toews doesn’t want the glare of a harsh spotlight and a heavy media contingent to deal with in a potential return, so a market like Anaheim could be a better fit for him.

In any case, Toews has earned the right to call his own shot when it comes to saying goodbye to the game. He may ultimately choose to stay retired and have a guaranteed induction in the Hockey Hall of Fame come sooner than later. But if he does give it one more try as a player, no one could fault him for it. Toews has nothing to prove to anyone, but taking one last stab at being an NHL player might be the one challenge he has left as an elite athlete. 

Countless veterans before him have had their NHL exit authored for them, and Toews now has the opportunity to seize the moment and stage his own exit his own way. And no one should blame him for doing his utmost to stick around the world’s biggest hockey stage, even if only for the short term. Toews wouldn’t be the first top NHL performer to want to end things for himself, and getting the chance to play a handful more games may be too alluring to turn down.

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Star Philadelphia Flyers forward Matvei Michkov has only been in the NHL for one season, but he's already tired of all the losing.

As far as Michkov is concerned, it's time to win.

In the 20-year-old's first season in North America, he finished second only to Travis Konecny in scoring and led the Flyers in goals with 26. Michkov, however, would trade individual accolades for team success anytime.

"The most important thing is for the team to reach the playoffs. If I have fewer points, but the team makes the playoffs, I’ll take that over having more points and missing the playoffs," Michkov told RG in a recent interview. "I’m tired of losing. I want to win.”

League-worst goaltending, injuries, and trades doomed the Flyers to a 33-39-10 record and a last-place finish in the Eastern Conference. Head coach John Tortorella was fired on March 27 after some off-ice clashes and a 28-36-9 record through 73 games.

“For my first NHL season, Tortorella was probably the best coach I could’ve had. From day one, he explained everything clearly and was always honest with me,” Michkov said of Tortorella.

With interim head coach Brad Shaw electing to step away from the Flyers entirely, Michkov will technically be playing under his third head coach in two seasons, with Philadelphia hiring franchise icon Rick Tocchet as the 25th head coach in team history.

“A new coach always means a fresh start. I don’t know him personally, so I can’t say much yet,” Michkov told RG of Tocchet.

The Flyers' franchise player did subtly note, however, something he hopes improves during life under Tocchet.

"I just hope I’ll have freedom on the ice. When I feel limited, I start focusing on the wrong things. I just want to have ice time and not feel restricted. That's when I play my best.

“The main thing is that the team improves and makes the playoffs." 

Michkov will be happy to know that Tocchet previously coached stars like Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller, and Quinn Hughes to their most productive seasons in the NHL.

That kind of development is exactly what the Flyers want out of Tocchet, and if Michkov is to take the same leap, team success will come in lockstep.

"I think it was a great season," Michkov said of his rookie year. "But I really want to make the playoffs every year and fight for the Stanley Cup."

A new nickname is being dubbed for Toronto Maple Leafs forward Max Pacioretty: Mr. Game 6.

After scoring the series-clinching goal in Game 6 against the Ottawa Senators in the first round, the veteran forward provided another massive goal on Friday for the Toronto Maple Leafs in an all-or-nothing Game 6 against the Florida Panthers.

Bobby McMann sprang down the wing in the third period, finding Pacioretty in front of the net. It was already a 1-0 game with captain Auston Matthews scoring his first goal of the series, but another goal would force a Game 7 at home in Toronto.

Pacioretty smacked the puck on the backhand, beating Sergei Bobrovsky for his third goal of the playoffs. After slotting it under the right arm of the Panthers' goaltender, the 36-year-old let out a thunderous, "Yeah baby!"

It was yet another moment where the Pacioretty signing paid off for the Maple Leafs.

"It's big time," McMann, who registered his first point since Game 1 against Ottawa, said on Friday night.

'I Thought I Was Done Playing A Number Of Times': How Maple Leafs' Max Pacioretty Persevered To Score Series-Clinching Goal Against SenatorsIt was 225 days ago, on Sept. 19, when Max Pacioretty, wearing a Toronto Maple Leafs hoodie with the number 67 stamped on, first stepped in front of the camera to explain why he joined the organization.

Pacioretty has been through incredibly tumultuous times in the last two years after rupturing his Achilles tendon twice. Drafted 22nd overall in the 2007 NHL Draft by the Montreal Canadiens, he wasn't ready to call it quits.

After playing 47 games with the Washington Capitals last season, Pacioretty joined the Maple Leafs on a professional tryout before signing a one-year, $873,770 contract two days before the season opener against the Canadiens.

Many questioned whether choosing the number 67 would bring a bad omen to the team after, well, their history. Pacioretty even laughed when he fielded questions about it during the opening days of training camp, saying, "I hope to bring the team good luck with that number."

In 10 playoff games with the Maple Leafs, Pacioretty has three goals and five assists for eight points, ranking him fourth in team scoring in the postseason. He's doing plenty of things right, especially with the number sewn on his back.

'This Is Why I'm Here': After A Nearly 3 Month Wait, Max Pacioretty Brings Experience To Maple Leafs Ahead Of Series DebutKANATA, Ont. — Max Pacioretty was visibly dejected when he spoke with reporters ahead of Game 1 of the Toronto Maple Leafs' first-round series against the Ottawa Senators.

As he stood in front of the cameras after Game 6 against the Panthers, though, something unique occurred. 

If you're superstitious or think the stars align for certain moments, you'll appreciate this: The sixth question fielded to Pacioretty on Friday was about his thoughts when he hears the words, "Game 7."

Sixth question, Game 7, see what I mean? Sixty-seven?

With a big smile, Pacioretty said with certainty, “It's a lot of fun. I can't wait. We're going to war.”

Many questioned whether Friday's Game 6 would be the final game of this era of the Maple Leafs. But they live to fight another day, now heading back home with a chance to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2002.

'He Bought Into The Role Of Being A Menace': Max Pacioretty Delivers Everything Maple Leafs Have Needed In The PlayoffsTo say Max Pacioretty has been red-hot in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs would be an overstatement.

The "war" with Florida began on May 5, with Toronto taking the series opener, 5-4. The "war" will conclude on Sunday, with the Carolina Hurricanes waiting after eliminating the Washington Capitals.

"The job's only going to get harder," Mitch Marner said, "so don't be satisfied, got to take care of yourself, take the rest you need, and get ready for a hard game."

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The Toronto Maple Leafs forced Game 7 against the Florida Panthers for a chance to play in the Eastern Conference final.

The Maple Leafs beat the Panthers 2-0 Friday, with goaltender Joseph Woll recording his first playoff shutout. Auston Matthews broke a 0-0 deadlock in the third period with his first-ever goal past Game 4 of a playoff series. Veteran Max Pacioretty also scored to give Toronto a cushion, and the Leafs sealed the deal to play a winner-takes-all contest on Sunday.

During the Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner era since 2016-17, the Maple Leafs have never won a Game 7. They’ve played in five Game 7s, and all were in the first round.

“It’s what you want to play for, and especially when you’re going down 3-2 into an away building, you want to bring your best, and I thought we did,” Marner told reporters post-game. “The job’s only going to get harder, so can’t be satisfied. Got to take care of yourself, take the rest you need, and be ready for a hard game.”

Toronto last played a Game 7 just over a year ago, on May 4, 2024, at TD Garden in Boston. They lost to the Boston Bruins when David Pastrnak scored the overtime-winner. The Bruins sent the Leafs home in Game 7 three times in the Matthews and Marner era.

In the 2021-22 playoffs, the Tampa Bay Lightning got the best of the Leafs. Nick Paul scored both daggers against them in a 2-1 Bolts win.

One of the most memorable Game 7 defeats was against the Montreal Canadiens in 2021. The Maple Leafs finished first in the all-Canadian division during the shortened season, but they blew a 3-1 series lead to the Canadiens. Montreal went on to advance to the Stanley Cup final.

In 2018 and 2019, the Bruins handled their business against the Maple Leafs in Game 7, with 7-4 and 5-1 victories.

Toronto’s star players have been called upon for the big moments, but they haven’t delivered to their standards. 

In five Game 7s, Matthews has no goals and three assists. He’s recorded at least a point in the team’s last three Game 7s. As for Marner, he also hasn’t scored a Game 7 goal and recorded two assists.

William Nylander has had better numbers when the season is on the line. He’s scored two goals and two assists in the five Game 7s.

As a team, the Maple Leafs have scored just one goal in each of their last four Game 7s.

All eyes will be on their top forwards to produce when the lights are their brightest. Additionally, it could reflect whether Marner re-signs with Toronto in the off-season.

Game 7 between the Maple Leafs and the Panthers will be on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. ET.

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Well, who doesn’t love a Game 7?

After winning three straight games to send the Toronto Maple Leafs to the brink of elimination, the Florida Panthers faltered on home ice Friday, falling 2-0 to knot the best-of seven at three games apiece.

The two teams combined for only nine shots on goal during the opening frame, with none getting past Sergei Bobrovsky, who made seven saves, and Joseph Woll, who had two.

Despite only registering the two shots, Florida still had eight scoring chances and 17 shot attempts.

When the second period began, the Panthers came out like gangbusters.

While there were still no goals scored, Florida outshot the Leafs 10-0 and had the edge in shot attempts 24-1 during the first 10 minutes of the second.

By the time the period was over, the Panthers had the edge in shots, attempts and scoring chances, but the game remained scoreless heading into the final frame.

A rare giveaway by Gus Forsling led to the game’s opening goal.

Auston Matthews picked up the puck just outside the blue line and carried it into Florida’s zone, snapping a shot that beat Bobrovsky through the legs to give Toronto a 1-0 lead with 13:40 left in the period.

Toronto doubled their lead on a rush play that developed after Nate Schmidt drove into the offensive zone and couldn’t recover.

Max Pacioretty finished off a cross-ice pass from Bobby McMann with 5:43 to go.

That would be more than enough for the Maple Leafs, who will drag the Panthers back to Toronto for a deciding matchup.

On to Game 7.

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Photo caption: May 16, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) covers the puck from Toronto Maple Leafs center Bobby McMann (74) during the first period in game six of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)