Overview

• The Florida Panthers defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-1 in Game 5, securing a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal series.
• Florida's defensemen contributed heavily, with Aaron Ekblad, Dmitry Kulikov, and Niko Mikkola each scoring in the first two periods.
• Jesper Boqvist, replacing the injured Evan Rodrigues, scored his first career playoff goal and added an assist in a standout performance.
• Sergei Bobrovsky made 31 saves, extending his dominant play, while Toronto's goaltending struggled, with Joseph Woll pulled after allowing five goals.
• The Panthers have won three straight games and can clinch the series at home in Game 6 on Friday night in Sunrise, Florida.