The conference final round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is now established following a decisive Game 7 battle between the Florida Panthers and the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday night. The Panthers, in pursuit of their second consecutive Stanley Cup, emerged victorious with a commanding 6-1 win at the Scotiabank Arena, setting the stage for an impending matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes for a chance to compete in the Stanley Cup Final.

In the playoff schedule, the Florida Panthers are set to face the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference finals. The details of the upcoming games are as follows: Game 1 will occur on Tuesday, May 20 at 8 p.m. ET, followed by Game 2 on the same date at 8 p.m. ET as well. The series will then shift to Florida for Game 3 on Thursday, May 22 at 8 p.m. ET, and Game 4 on Saturday, May 24 at 8 p.m. ET. Should the series extend, Game 5 is scheduled for Monday, May 26 at 8 p.m. ET, Game 6 for Friday, May 30 at 8 p.m. ET, and a potential Game 7 on Sunday, June 1 at 8 p.m. ET. Additionally, in the Western Conference, the Edmonton Oilers are set to face the Dallas Stars with an equally compelling schedule beginning on Wednesday, May 21.

During the Game 7 encounter, both teams remained scoreless at the conclusion of the first period, although the Panthers exhibited a strong offensive approach early on, amassing 20 shot attempts compared to zero from the Maple Leafs during the first six minutes. A notable moment occurred when Toronto’s William Nylander had an opportunity to score but was thwarted by Panthers' goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who managed to stop the shot attempt. The game followed an intensive course, which saw the departure of referee Chris Rooney after being accidentally struck by a high stick. The Panthers eventually broke the deadlock in the second period when Seth Jones scored, aided by a pass from Evan Rodrigues. Florida built on this momentum, extending their lead to 2-0 through Anton Lundell after Maple Leafs' goaltender Joseph Woll was unable to control a rebound. The success continued for the Panthers' fourth line, culminating in Jonah Gadjovich scoring to push the score to 3-0, leaving Maple Leafs’ fans discontented as Toronto had previously held a 2-0 series lead.

The third period opened with a glimmer of hope for the Maple Leafs when Max Domi capitalized on a late line change from the Panthers, reducing the deficit to 3-1. However, the Panthers were quick to respond; a redirect from Eetu Luostarinen reinstated their three-goal advantage. The Maple Leafs struggled to recover, as Sam Reinhart added another goal off a face-off, followed by an empty netter from Brad Marchand, culminating in a 6-1 triumph for Florida. The Panthers will now prepare for their next challenge against the Hurricanes, while the Maple Leafs continue to seek their first appearance in the conference finals since 2002.