There is no such thing as an unimportant playoff series. But with the Toronto Maple Leafs looking to reach the Eastern Conference Final for the first time in 23 years and looking to avoid a second-round loss heading into what is an uncertain offseason, one could certainly make an argument that their physical, intense clash with the Florida Panthers is the most important of this era of Maple Leafs hockey.
And now, this all-important series is down to a best-of-three. Tonight’s Game 5 back at Scotiabank Arena will determine whether Toronto heads back to Florida looking to clinch a Conference Final spot or looking to survive as they sit on the brink of elimination. These big stakes warrant a breakdown of some of the looming questions – both for tonight and the remainder of the series – that will help decide who moves on and who goes home.
Does Home Ice Matter?
Thus far in the series, both teams have remained perfect within the friendly confines of their home arena. That’s good news for the Maple Leafs, who are slated to host both Game 5 and, if necessary, Game 7 by virtue of holding the regular season edge over Florida in the standings. Whether the late stages of the series will play out in the same home team-friendly way remains to be seen, however.
You’ll surely recall the Maple Leafs’ flat performance at home in Game 5 of the first round series against the Ottawa Senators, as they failed to muster any kind of offence in a disappointing 4-0 loss. Hopefully, their similarly punchless Game 4 showing in a 2-0 road loss to the Panthers got all the offensive lethargy out of their system.
Scotiabank Arena is absolutely humming
What an insane period of hockey – 20 minutes to go in what has been an absolute boxing match #LeafsNation #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/7hXnj27Ea0
— Damien Lisi (@DamienLisi) May 8, 2025
While you might expect home ice to yield an added boost for the Maple Leafs, that simply hasn’t always been the case. In the past eight seasons of consecutive postseason appearances, they have amassed an underwhelming 8-14 record at home. In the 2023 playoffs, their 1-5 record at Scotiabank Arena (including going 0-3 against the Panthers) all but ensured a second-round exit.
This postseason, things have been at least a little better. Getting shut out with a chance to advance in Game 5 against Ottawa has marked the only home loss to date, as Toronto is 4-1 overall. Optimistically, perhaps this Maple…
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