Panthers eliminate Maple Leafs in OT, return to conference finals

TORONTO — The Florida Panthers eliminated the Maple Leafs from the NHL postseason with a 3-2 overtime win in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference second-round series on Friday. Florida advances now to face the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final.

This is the second time in franchise history the Panthers have appeared in a Conference Final and their first trip back since the 1995-96 season. Florida entered this postseason as the Eastern Conference’s eighth seed and previously advanced past the top-seeded, Presidents Trophy-winning Boston Bruins in a seven-game first-round series.

Toronto was playing in the second round for the first time since 2004. The Leafs had previously lost six consecutive first round series before they topped Tampa in six games this year.

It was a tough pill for Toronto to swallow when their postseason run came to a screeching halt.

“It’s hard to win,” said Auston Matthews, who failed to score in the second-round series. “I think we know that more than anybody. This is a tough one.”

“The belief never wavered,” added captain John Tavares. “But it’s hard to believe it’s over.”

Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe felt the Leafs’ fate was sealed well before their Game 5 loss.

“We lost the series in the first three games,” said Keefe, alluding to Toronto falling into a 3-0 hole. “I believe we had a group good enough to win the Stanley Cup, and we didn’t do that. This is a missed opportunity for our group.”

Florida struck first on Friday when Aaron Ekblad capitalized on an early power play chance less than four minutes into the opening frame. Toronto’s penalty kill had struggled throughout the series, giving up goals in each of the last three games.

The Leafs couldn’t convert on their own power play chance later in the period that showcased strong, sustained zone pressure but limited shots on Panthers’ netminder Sergei Bobrovsky.

Florida doubled its lead shortly thereafter when Leafs’ defenseman Timothy Liljegren misplayed the puck at his own blueline right onto the stick of Anthony Duclair, who set up a Carter Verhaeghe strike.

The Panthers carried their 2-0 lead into the second period, where Morgan Rielly got Toronto on the board blasting a puck through traffic with Bobrovsky screened in front.

Rielly thought he scored again before the end of the period to tie the score at 2-2. But upon review the goal was overturned because the play was adjudged to have been whistled dead before the puck crossed the goal liner. That controversial decision caused fans to begin throwing debris onto the ice in displeasure.

Florida carried a 2-1 lead into the third where it held until the final five minutes. That’s when William Nylander found the back of the net to tie the game 2-2 with 4:23 to play in…