The conference final round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is now established following a decisive Game 7 clash between the Florida Panthers and the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday night. In a strong display of performance, the Panthers defeated the Maple Leafs 6-1 at Scotiabank Arena, continuing their pursuit of a second consecutive Stanley Cup title. With this victory, Florida is now set to face the Carolina Hurricanes, with redemption for a trip to the Stanley Cup Final on the line.

Looking ahead, the playoff schedule includes the following matchups for the Eastern Conference: Game 1 on May 20 features the Florida Panthers at the Carolina Hurricanes at 8 p.m. ET, followed by Game 2 on the same date at 8 p.m. ET. The series then shifts to Florida for Game 3 on May 22 at 8 p.m. ET, and Game 4 on May 24 at 8 p.m. ET. If necessary, Game 5 will take place on May 26 at 8 p.m. ET, Game 6 will be on May 30 at 8 p.m. ET, and Game 7, if required, will occur on June 1 at 8 p.m. ET.

In the Western Conference, the Edmonton Oilers will compete against the Dallas Stars with Game 1 scheduled for May 21 at 8 p.m. ET, followed by Game 2 on May 23 at 8 p.m. ET. Game 3 will see the Stars at the Oilers on May 25 at 3 p.m. ET, with Game 4 on May 27 at 8 p.m. ET. Should the series extend further, Game 5 is on May 29 at 8 p.m. ET, with Game 6 on May 31 at 8 p.m. ET, and Game 7 on June 2 at 8 p.m. ET.

In the decisive Game 7, both teams started with a scoreless first period, during which the Panthers displayed aggressive intent, launching 20 shot attempts compared to none for the Maple Leafs in the early minutes. Toronto’s William Nylander had a chance to score, but Florida goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky managed to thwart the attempt. The game took a different turn when the refereeing crew was impacted as Chris Rooney exited the match after being hit inadvertently by a high stick.

The second period saw the Panthers break the deadlock with Seth Jones finding the net off a well-placed pass from Evan Rodrigues. Just minutes later, Florida doubled its lead when Anton Lundell capitalized on a rebound mishap from Toronto goalie Joseph Woll. The Panthers' fourth line added to the scoreboard with Jonah Gadjovich's goal, extending the lead to a commanding 3-0, leaving Maple Leafs fans disheartened, particularly following their initial advantage in the series.

In the third period, Max Domi sparked some hope for Toronto, scoring after a Florida line change to close the gap to 3-1. However, that sense of optimism was short-lived as Eetu Luostarinen redirected a shot to restore Florida's three-goal lead. The game concluded with Sam Reinhart scoring off a face-off, followed by Brad Marchand's empty-net goal, finalizing the score at 6-1 in favor of the Panthers. With this win, Florida turns its focus to the upcoming series against the Hurricanes, while Toronto continues to seek its first conference final appearance since 2002.