NHL’s Conference Finals set as Panthers eliminate Leafs

And then there were four.

The Florida Panthers hammered the Toronto Maple Leafs by a score of 6-1 on Sunday to advance to their third consecutive Eastern Conference Final.

The Leafs got out a 2-0 series lead and the Panthers put them on the brink with three consecutive wins of their own. Toronto forced a Game 7 at home with a 2-0 victory in Florida on Friday but ultimately couldn’t beat the defending Stanley Cup champions.

After a scoreless first period, Seth Jones opened the scoring three minutes in the second frame. The Panthers scored twice more in the second to take a commanding lead. Max Domi put the Leafs on the board in the third period but Florida responded with three unanswered goals to seal the win.

This loss marks another playoff letdown for the Leafs, who had high expectations after winning the Atlantic Division and making a handful of additions ahead of the trade deadline. Toronto hasn’t advanced beyond the second round of the playoffs in the salary cap era.

The team has some major decisions to make this off-season. John Tavares and Mitch Marner are both set to become unrestricted free agents on July 1 and rising star Matthew Knies will be a restricted free agent.

The Panthers will now face the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final. Florida will be looking to reach their third Cup Final in a row while the Hurricanes will be trying to reach the dance for the first time since 2006.

Three of the four teams in the Conference Finals are back after being in the final four last year. The Edmonton Oilers beat the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final and the two teams will have a rematch this spring. The Hurricanes are the only team of the four who weren’t in last year’s Conference Finals.