William Nylander was the star of the night, scoring two goals early in the first period and assisting on another as the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Florida Panthers 5-4. The game marked the start of their second-round playoff series, with Toronto hoping to avenge last year's playoff exit against the same team. Matthew Knies and Chris Tanev also contributed with a goal and assist each, while Morgan Rielly added another goal. The Maple Leafs built a 5-3 lead before holding off a late surge from Florida, who had goals from Seth Jones, Eetu Luostarinen, Uvis Balinskis, and Sam Bennett, bringing the score close.

Toronto's Anthony Stolarz left the game due to injury, leading to Joseph Woll stepping in as goalie. Despite strong performances from players like Brad Marchand and Carter Verhaeghe for the Panthers, Toronto's defense held firm, especially late in the game. The series will continue with Game 2 at the Scotiabank Arena.