Florida had all the momentum against Toronto, then came out flat in Game 6 | D'Angelo

SUNRISE If any team should feel good about playing a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup playoffs, it's the Florida Panthers.Especially when the Panthers are coming off a season in which their last Game 7 resulted in a Stanley Cup championship.And especially since that Game 7 is in Toronto.Yes, the Maple Leafs did something completely out of character for this franchise, they came up clutch in a crucial playoff game.

Toronto knotted this second-round series against the Panthers at three games each with a stunning 2-0 victory in Game 6 at Amerant Bank Arena.Toronto staved off elimination on a goal by its maligned superstar, Auston Matthews, 6:20 into the third period before Max Pacioretty's insurance goal eight minutes later.More: Florida Panthers official from Jupiter suspended by NHL after disturbing social media postsThe two teams will meet May 18 in Game 7 in Toronto, the winner moving on to face the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference final.Now, the Panthers must get back to the type of hockey that allowed them to overcome an 0-2 series deficit with three straight wins, not the uninspiring start to Game 6 that gave the Maple Leafs confidence.And Toronto has to overcome the ghosts of an underachieving franchise that has defined playoff misery."They're free," Panthers coach Paul Maurice said about Game 7s.

"They are.

All the energy you've got with no concern for tomorrow.

You've talked about your game enough all year, everyone understands the game.

There'll be a lot extra coffee.

We'll be ready to go."Florida played a role in Toronto overcoming a humiliating 6-1 home loss in Game 5, a game that has proven to be an outlier in this series with the other five all decided by two goals or fewer.The Panthers managed just two shots in the first period of Game 6, despite have two power plays to Toronto's zero.

Not that the chances were not there for the taking, but the Cats appeared a tick too late getting to the puck in the offensive zone.To the surprise of its entire fan base, Toronto was not going to fold."We played a simple game tonight and we were determined," Toronto coach Craig Berube said.

"We managed the puck really well.

We didn't have many turnovers.

A lot of simple things." Florida got back to its winning style in the second period, starting with a 10-0 advantage on shots.

Still, even then, Toronto did a good job of limiting the high-end chances.

When it didn't, Joseph Woll looked like the goalie who was outstanding in a 2-0 defeat in Game 4 and not the one who was pulled in Game 5 after allowing five goals on 25 shots.The Panthers' best chance, perhaps in the game, came in the first period on a 2-on-1 in which Eetu Luostarinen held the puck, faked out the Leafs defense and appeared surprised to find himself wide open in front of Woll.

So surprised his shot sailed wide over the goaltender's blocker.In the third period, soon after Matthews broke the scoreless tie, Brad Marchand had an open net with Woll out of position but could not get to the puck on time.Those were shots the Panthers were getting to and sticking in the net the last three games.Maple Leafs protected goaltender Joseph WollOne reason the Panthers had difficulty getting high-end shots on Woll was because the Maple Leafs did the one thing they have done exceptionally well this entire series, prevent their opponents from reaching their goaltender.Toronto blocked 31 shots, nine more than the Panthers actually got on goal."They had a good number the entire series, you kind of expect that," Maurice said.

"I just thought we were late getting it off our stick.

I thought we were waving the gun a lot, didn't want to pull the trigger on a few."Toronto was an overtime goal in Game 3 from taking a 3-0 stranglehold in this series.

Then the Maple Leafs entered Game 6 down 3-2 and having scored one of the last 10 goals in the series.Matthews flipped that script in Game 6 with a shot that got past Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky after a turnover by defenseman Gustav Forsling.

It was a goal that lifted a weight the size of Ontario off the shoulders of his, and the teams, shoulders.The goal was Matthews' first in 11 second-round series games during his career.But none of that will matter if Toronto adds another chapter to its playoff failures in Game 7.Maple Leafs' last Stanley Cup came when Beatles were still togetherToronto's last Stanley Cup came in 1967, the year Elvis Presley was married and The Beatles released "Sgt.

Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." The Leafs have made the playoffs the last nine years but have not advanced past the second round in 23 years.Florida has played in the last two Stanley Cup finals, hoisting the cup last year with a 2-1 Game 7 victory over Edmonton in South Florida.Advantage: Florida."Everyday in the playoffs you gain a lot of experience, you learn a lot from those moments," Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov said.

"(Game 6) wasn't the result we wanted.

Just regroup and recover and get ready for Game 7."Tom D'Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post.

He can be reached at [email protected] article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Toronto Maple Leafs force Game 7 against Florida Panthers after 2-0 win.

This article has been shared from the original article on yahoo, here is the link to the original article.