The 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs continued on Sunday with two more games. Here are some key takeaways from the action.
Maple Leafs-Panthers is turning ugly
The Florida Panthers evened their second-round series with the Toronto Maple Leafs at two games each on Sunday with a 2-0 shutout win.
That is the main story and one that is going to rapidly increase the anxiety in Toronto as its playoff struggles start to lurk back to the surface by letting a 2-0 series lead slip away.
But there is a sub-plot to this series that is going to rapidly make itself the main plot if the NHL doesn’t do something about it.
This series is getting ugly.
Really ugly.
The series narrative was already hijacked in Game 1 when Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz was knocked out of the game — he has yet to return to the series — following an elbow to the head from Sam Bennett and a slap shot to the head earlier in the game.
Bennett was not disciplined by the league for his role in Stolarz’s injury.
The physical play has only ramped up from there, and Sunday’s game had its fair share of ugly moments.
There was Toronto’s Oliver Ekman-Larsson hitting Evan Rodrigues with a high hit, knocking Rodrigues out of the game.
