Stanley Cup playoffs live updates: Florida Panthers vs Toronto Maple Leafs, Game 3
By definition, Friday night is not a “must-win” game for the Florida Panthers.
But for all intents and purposes, Game 3 of their Stanley Cup playoffs second-round series is as close to “must-win” as it can get without officially being one after the Panthers dropped the first two contests in the best-of-7 series.
A Florida win makes the series competitive again, while a loss puts the Panthers down 0-3 and needing to win each of the final four games to keep their hopes of repeating as Stanley Cup champions alive.
Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. from Sunrise’s Amerant Bank Arena. The game will be broadcast nationally on TNT and truTV, while also available to be streamed on Max.
Follow along throughout the game for live updates, news, analysis and commentary.
Panthers win
So ... that was a wild finish.
Brad Marchand scored the OT winner with 4:33 left.
Florida remains very much alive in the series.
A full recap can be found here.
Overtime
The Panthers came dangerously close to winning in the final minute, but this one’s going to overtime.
Maple Leafs tie it midway through the third
The Maple Leafs tied the game with 9:04 left to play off an unfortunate bounce for the Panthers. Morgan Rielly’s shot was stopped by Bobrovsky, then bounced off Seth Jones’ right knee and into the net.
Brutal for Florida.
It’s 4-4.
And the Panthers lead
Tomas Nosek, playing in his first game of the postseason with the Panthers, scored the go-ahead goal with 4:53 left in the second period.
Nosek had 1 (ONE) goal in the regular season — Nov. 7 against Nashville.
He just scored what very well might become the Panthers’ most important goal of this series.
Florida ties it
Just over a minute after Sam Reinhart got Florida within a goal, the Panthers tied the game when Carter Verhaeghe scored into practically an open net on a two-on-one with Sam Bennett.
3-3 game with 14:43 left in the second.
Florida has been buzzing this period, and it’s starting to pay off.
Panthers score on close play
The Panthers got within one again, 3-2, on a Sam Reinhart goal after a review early in the second period. Initially, it appeared that Toronto defenseman Brandon Carlo kept it out but the puck crossed the line.
15:46 left in the second.
Toronto builds its lead
Power play goal for Toronto. John Tavares deflects a shot that deflects off Gustav Forsling and into the net.
3-1 Leafs over the Panthers with 17:08 left in the second.
Panthers down after one period
Florida trails Toronto 2-1 after 20 minutes. The Maple Leafs have a 12-8 edge in shots on goal, but the Panthers looked considerably better down the stretch after a sluggish opening six minutes.
Barkov cuts the deficit
The Panthers get one back on an Aleksander Barkov goal after Florida took advantage of a loose puck in the offensive zone. Barkov and Sam Reinhart did a good job on the forecheck to set up the goal.
The Panthers are down 2-1 to Toronto with 12:22 left in the first.
Let’s see if this sparks something.
Maple Leafs double the lead
Wraparound goal from John Tavares. Toronto is now up 2-0 5:57 into this one.
It’s been all Maple Leafs in the opening minutes. This is feeling reminiscent of Game 1. That’s not good.
Toronto scores early
It took just 23 seconds for Toronto to get on the board. Matthew Knies off a rebound.
It’s the second time in three games this series that Florida has allowed a goal in the opening minute.
Not ideal.
Panthers lineup changes
The Panthers made several lineup changes for Game 3 against Toronto, most notably swapping out their entire fourth line.
A full breakdown can be found here.
Gary Bettman speaks in South Florida
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman did a general media availability at Amernat Bank Arena prior to the Panthers-Maple Leafs game. A couple notables:
▪ On the upcoming Winter Classic (at Miami’s loanDepot park) and Stadium Series (at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium): “It’s bold. It’s audacious. It’s an attempt to do something special for the fans in Florida.”
▪ He said he hopes a new collective bargaining agreement for the NHL gets done “sooner than later.” Talks are progressing. The deal currently expires at the end of next season.
▪ On the Panthers’ growing popularity in South Florida: “It starts with two words: Vinnie Viola.”
▪ On the thoughts of Amerant Bank Arena being a long-term viable option for the Panthers’ arena: “I think there’ll continue to be a need to put money into the building, which they’ve done. The commitment that the Violas have made to this market, to Fort Lauderdale, with the War Memorial and the training facility, I’m delighted that the franchise is going to have long-term stability. This building works well. This is a terrific building, great bones. It’s a very good location that you can access easily. I think long-term, everybody’s focused on making sure the franchise has what it needs.”
Series schedule
▪ Game 1 — Maple Leafs 5, Panthers 4: The Panthers nearly rallied from a three-goal deficit, getting to within one goal twice in the third, but ultimately couldn’t overcome their slow start in a series-opening loss. William Nylander scored twice for Toronto.
▪ Game 2 — Maple Leafs 4, Panthers 3: Florida blew a pair of two-goal leads and then fell behind for good 17 seconds after tying the game early in the third period to fall into an 0-2 hole in the series.
▪ Game 3: Tonight
▪ Game 4: Sunday, May 11, 7:30 p.m., TBS, truTV, Max, Sunrise’s Amerant Bank Arena
▪ Game 5 (if necessary): Wednesday, May 14, TBD time, ESPN, Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena
▪ Game 6 (if necessary): Friday, May 16, TBD time, TNT, truTV, Max, Sunrise’s Amerant Bank Arena
▪ Game 7 (if necessary): Sunday, May 18, TBD time, TNT, Max, Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena
Pregame reading
Need to catch up ahead of Game 3? Here are the highlights of the Miami Herald’s coverage over the past few days.
▪ If the Panthers weren’t the underdogs before, they are now — and need to embrace it
▪ Why the Panthers have confidence Sergei Bobrovsky can turn things around against Toronto
▪ Brad Marchand has excelled so far in the playoffs. Can he spark a turnaround against Toronto?
This story was originally published May 9, 2025 at 6:00 PM.
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