Toronto Maple Leafs outclass Ottawa Senators, to face Florida Panthers in second round

In a thrilling finish to their first-round series, the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Ottawa Senators 4-2 in Game 6 to advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Auston Matthews opened the scoring late in the first period on the power play, Toronto’s first goal in 31 power-play chances in series-clinching games since 2018. It came off an undisciplined penalty by Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk.

Playing on his 29th birthday, William Nylander added another goal and an assist, reaffirming his growing leadership role. Ottawa clawed back in the third with goals from Tkachuk and veteran David Perron, tying the game 2-2. But that’s when the Leafs showed what has long been missing: maturity in the moment.


Star player Max Pacioretty delivered with a clutch go-ahead goal. It was redemption for both him and teammate Max Domi, who helped set it up.

“Veteran guys have been around and played a lot of games. He came through,” said coach Craig Berube.

Goaltender Anthony Stolarz, steady all series, stopped 21 of 23 shots. “We showed a lot of perseverance,” he said. “It’s been a rollercoaster.”

With the win, the Leafs now face the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, who won three of four meetings with Toronto this season and outscored them 13-7. “We’ll have fun tonight,” said Nylander, “but the focus is on Florida.”

The Florida Panthers defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games during the first round.

The “Core Four”: Matthews, Marner, Tavares, and Nylander combined for five points in Game 6. It's just the second series win for this group since they were assembled, and perhaps, the most emotionally significant. “The mindset was business-like,” said Berube. “We wanted to finish it off here.”

For Ottawa, it was heartbreak as their first playoff appearance since 2017 ended in disappointment, but not without pride. “It’s devastating,” Tkachuk said, fighting back tears. “But I’m proud of our team.”