The defending champion Florida Panthers will try to take the next step toward a repeat Friday night in Game 6 of their second-round series while the Toronto Maple Leafs will try to avoid a major collapse. A victory would move the Panthers into the Eastern Conference final for the third year in a row, where they would face the Carolina Hurricanes in a rematch of the 2023 series won by Florida. A loss would mean another disappointing postseason for the Maple Leafs. Even though they reached the second round for the second time since 2004, they had won the first two games of this series. The Panthers won the next three, including a blowout 6-1 win in Game 5 in Toronto. "There’s confidence in this group," Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews told reporters after Game 5. "We’ve been able to push back and been able to bounce back all year. It’s no different than now. Just look in the mirror and all of us be better.”
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