Florida Panthers stun record-setting Bruins, will face Maple Leafs in 2nd round
Posted April 30, 2023 10:05 pm.
Last Updated May 1, 2023 6:34 am.
The Toronto Maple Leafs will avoid having to face the Boston Bruins in the next round of the playoffs after the Florida Panthers stunned the Presidents’ Trophy winners by winning Game 7 Sunday night.
Carter Verhaeghe played the hero for the Panthers, scoring the series-clinching goal for a 4-3 overtime win in Boston.
WHAT A MOMENT!!! ????????????
Carter Verhaeghe plays hero for the Panthers in Game 7 of the #StanleyCup Playoffs as he scores the @SUBWAYCanada OT winner. pic.twitter.com/f9EwE0jGCn
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 1, 2023
The Panthers won three in a row after falling behind 3-1 in the series to advance in the postseason for just the second time since reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 1996.
The Bruins, who set NHL records with 65 wins and 135 points in the regular season, become just the second Presidents’ Trophy winners in the past 10 seasons to be eliminated in the first round, joining the Tampa Bay Lightning who were upset by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2019.
The Panthers, who qualified for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, will now face the Maple Leafs who advanced to the second round for the first time since 2004 by defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.
The second round series will begin at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto on Tuesday night. The full schedule for the remainder of the games is expected to be released Monday evening.
Puck drop for Game 1 is just after 7 p.m. ET on Sportsnet.
