LEAFS OUSTED BY FLORIDA
Nick Cousins scored at 15:32 of overtime and Sergei Bobrovsky made 50 saves as the Florida Panthers beat the host Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 in Game 5 of their secondround playoff series on Friday to advance to the Eastern Conference final.
Aaron Ekblad and Carter Verhaeghe each had a goal and an assist to help the Panthers build a 2-0 lead in the first period.
Morgan Rielly and William Nylander scored for the Maple Leafs, who had advanced in the playoffs for the first time in 19 years when they beat Tampa Bay in the first round. Rookie goalie Joseph Woll had 41 saves in his first home playoff start.
In the extra period, Cousins buried his second goal of the playoffs off the rush short-side on Woll to send the Panthers to the conference finals for the first time since
Panthers 3, Maple Leafs 2 (OT)
1996.
Florida — the team with the fewest points to qualify for the postseason — won all three games in Toronto and improved to 6-1 on the road in the playoffs after also upsetting the record-setting Boston Bruins. The Panthers will next face the Carolina Hurricanes, who also beat the New Jersey Devils in five games.
Woll was coming off a 24-save effort in a Game 4 win that avoided the sweep.
The Maple Leafs now face an uncertain offseason despite their breakthrough against the Lightning. GM Kyle Dubas doesn’t have a contract beyond June 30, while there have also been rumblings about the future of coach Sheldon Keefe. Nylander and Auston Matthews both have one year remaining on their contracts and can sign extensions as of July 1, while fellow star forward Mitch Marner’s no-movement clause kicks in the same day.
Golden Knights 4, Oilers 3: Jack Eichel had a goal and two assists, and host Vegas moved one win from the Western Conference Final after beating Edmonton.
Mark Stone, Reilly Smith and Nic Hague also scored, and Jonathan Marchessault tied a franchise playoff record with three assists for the Golden Knights, who took a 3-2 series lead. Adin Hill had 31 saves.
Connor McDavid scored two power-play goals for the Oilers, Zach Hyman had a goal and an assist and Evan Bouchard and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each totaled two assists. Stuart Skinner was pulled late in the second period after giving up four goals on 22 shots, and Jack Campbell stopped all nine shots he faced in relief.
Game 6 is Sunday at Edmonton, Alberta.