What’s the one thing you don’t want to hear if you’re a Toronto Maple Leafs fan right now? Probably that the Florida Panthers, who just dismantled your team 6-1 in Game 5, aren’t even banking on some mythical “momentum” to carry them forward. That’s exactly what Panthers coach Paul Maurice said after his team’s dominant performance at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday, leaving the Maple Leafs teetering on the edge of elimination in this Eastern Conference Second Round series.

Sergei Bobrovsky was a wall, stopping 31 shots, including a critical breakaway save on William Nylander early in the first to keep the game scoreless. From there, the Panthers pounced. Aaron Ekblad opened the scoring late in the first, capitalizing on a turnover by Auston Matthews and a slick pass from Sam Reinhart to fire one over Joseph Woll’s blocker.

Maurice, though, wasn’t buying into any talk of his team riding a wave into Game 6. “I am absolutely not a believer in momentum,” he said post-game, his tone as steady as his team’s performance. “So if we took that concept of what you said and applied it and felt it was true in our room, you would put yourself in a very, very difficult position if you lose the next game.” For Maurice, it’s about consistency, not some fleeting vibe. He expects the opening minutes of Game 6 in Florida to mirror the tight, gritty starts of the series’ earlier games, where Toronto matched or even outplayed the Panthers. “So I would say we leave the game here. We’re going to have a certain kind of day tomorrow that we’ve had a bunch of times. It won’t be a happier day or a better day than other days on our travel days. It’s going to be exactly there” he said, emphasizing a routine travel day ahead, no happier or grander than any other.

Dmitry Kulikov doubled the lead in the second when his point shot deflected off Toronto’s Scott Laughton and past Woll. Jesper Boqvist made it 3-0, sneaking behind Mitch Marner to redirect a Reinhart pass, and Niko Mikkola’s long-range snipe pushed it to 4-0. By the time AJ Greer jammed in a rebound early in the third, Woll was done, replaced by Matt Murray, who hadn’t played a playoff game since 2020. Sam Bennett’s power-play goal capped Florida’s onslaught at 6-0 before Nicholas Robertson spoiled Bobrovsky’s shutout late, cutting it to 6-1.

With a 3-2 series lead, the Panthers are one win from the Conference Finals. But Maurice’s message is clear: don’t get comfortable. For a team that just flexed its depth and goaltending muscle, that discipline might be their deadliest weapon yet.

Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube makes his stance clear after Game 5 loss to Florida Panthers

Wednesday night at Scotiabank Arena was a rough one for the Toronto Maple Leafs. By the second period, head coach Craig Berube was shuffling his forward lines like a deck of cards, desperately trying to spark something—anything—against the Florida Panthers. But the moves didn’t pay off. The Leafs ran out of steam, ideas, and answers, crashing to a brutal 6-1 loss in Game 5. Now, they’re staring down elimination as they head to Florida for a must-win Game 6 on Friday.

“It’s hard to explain,” Berube said after the game, shaking his head. “We all got to be better, myself included.” He pointed to the team’s sluggish start as a tone-setter, but even he seemed stumped about why it happened. “Sports,” he shrugged. “Things happen.”

This wasn’t just a loss—it was a beatdown, the Leafs’ worst playoff defeat since a 7-2 drubbing by the Flyers in 2004. Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky was a wall, stopping everything from William Nylander’s breakaway to Zach Knies’ point-blank shot. Toronto’s lone goal, a late one from Nick Robertson with just over a minute left, was nothing more than a footnote.

The stats don’t paint a pretty picture either. Auston Matthews, the Leafs’ star captain who lit up the regular season with 69 goals last year, has been quiet in the playoffs, with just three goals in his last 18 postseason games and none in nine career matchups against Florida. The team’s shot total was meagre, though they had their chances. Bobrovsky, however, wasn’t having it.

Now, the Leafs face a steep climb. History shows that teams winning Game 5 in a tied 2-2 series go on to win 79% of the time. Toronto’s got to shake off the sting, regroup fast, and find some magic in Sunrise. If they don’t, their season’s over.