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Joseph Woll replaced Stolarz halfway through the second period, a move that seemed to energize the Panthers who scored twice early in the third period.

A Matt Knies breakaway goal with six minutes left 鈥� a goal that felt like it delivered with a dagger 鈥� held up as the winner after Bennett scored with 1:55 remaining and Florida playing with an extra attacker.

It was Woll鈥檚 first game since April 17, a 4-3 overtime win over Detroit. He allowed three goals on 20 shots after Stolarz allowed one on nine.

It鈥檚 a series that turned mean very quickly.

Toward the end of a Florida power play, Bennett elbowed Stolarz in the head at 7:20 of the second period. Stolarz lay on the ice for a few seconds, but got up. He had a few words with the officials. The infraction was not called. The Leafs killed that penalty, and Chris Tanev made it 4-1 about 30 seconds later, and 海角社区官网fans were loving what was looking like a laugher.

But during a TV timeout, Stolarz left his net, had a chat at the bench, appeared to vomit, and went down the hallway to the Leaf room. Woll took over at 10:14.

To that point, the Leafs were well in control thanks to two goals from William Nylander, and one each from Morgan Rielly and Tanev.

Physically, the Leafs gave as good as they got, with each side trying to use their physicality to send a message.

The Panthers have a reputation for taking no prisoners. Bennett concussed Knies back in the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs, the only other time the two Atlantic Division rivals met in the post-season.

The Tampa Bay Lightning complained about the Panthers after their first-round meeting. Anthony Cirelli suffered an MCL sprain during Game 1 during a bustup with Gustav Forsling. Brandon Hagel was involved in a clash with Panthers鈥� Aaron Ekblad, which left him suffering from a concussion. Ekblad was suspended two games, including Game 1 against Toronto.

Who鈥檚 the underdog?

The game within the game started long before the puck dropped, with each team vying for the coveted position of underdog.

鈥淎ny time you鈥檙e playing the Stanley Cup champions, you鈥檙e going to be the underdog, right?鈥� Leafs coach Craig Berube said. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e proven they鈥檙e a great team over the last few years. They鈥檙e very good team. We鈥檙e a good team, too. We鈥檙e approaching this businesslike.鈥�

Not so fast, said Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk, arguing the Leafs should be the favourites.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think we are,鈥� Tkachuk said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e on the road for Game 1. They had a better year than we did.鈥�

One or the other was in first place in the Atlantic Division for 174 of 178 days this season 鈥� the Leafs for 90 times, Florida 84.

Dream start

The first period couldn鈥檛 have gone any better had the Leafs scripted it themselves. They were up 3-1, firing on cylinders, dominating play and outshooting Florida 11-4.

It was Nylander who got things going, with a wrist shot that went between the legs of Sergei Bobrovsky just 33 seconds into the game. It was the seventh-fastest game-opening goal in Leafs post-season history. Max Pacioretty deserved a fair bit of credit for winning a puck battle behind the Florida net to feed Nylander.

The Leafs鈥� high-scoring Swede got his second at 7:09 as the Panthers were caught running around and Nylander鈥檚 quick deke beat Bobrovsky.

The Leafs were well in control, on a power play, when they were called for too many men. That was costly, with Seth Jones getting Florida on the board with just 23 seconds left in the Florida power play, a shot from 47 feet. Stolarz had been beaten from that distance, and further, against Ottawa.

But the Leafs didn鈥檛 wait long to respond: 19 seconds to be precise. Nylander fed a charging Rielly, who used John Tavares as a decoy on a 2-on-1 and beat Bobrovsky on the short side to restored the two-goal lead.

Hard hitting

Tanev added a knuckleball of a goal at 7:50 of the second period, but it was the Stolarz injury just before it that gave the game an air of nastiness.

From that moment forward, every hit had an edge to it. Knies and Auston Matthews laid a few big ones. So did Bennett and Tkachuk. Leafs fans showed some imagination, and started chanting 鈥淏rady鈥檚 better,鈥� a reference to Tkachuk鈥檚 younger brother with the Ottawa Senators.

The change in goalies seemed to wake up Florida, who tested Woll. He stopped the four shots in the second period as the Leafs took their 4-1 lead into the third.