The Toronto Maple Leafs have advanced to the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs after defeating the Ottawa Senators 4-2 in Game 6 of their first-round series. Max Pacioretty is credited with the game-winning goal. He scored at 14:21 in the third period to give the Leafs a 3-2 lead. The goal came less than two minutes after the Senators scored to tie the game 2-2 on a goal by David Perron.
Fans and the media questioned the Toronto Maple Leafs' decision to keep the 36-year-old in the lineup over the much younger Nick Robertson before game six started. When asked about his lineup for Game 6, Leafs head coach Craig Berube stated, "There's a lot to like on our team right now, the way things are going. It felt like best to leave it." The coach was right, as Pacioretty and the Leafs got the job done.
Max Pacioretty was inserted into the Leafs playoff lineup in Game 3 after not playing since February 8 due to injury. One of the main reasons why people were questioning the team for having him in the lineup, was the fact that through the third, fourth, and fifth game of this series, Pacioretty had no points, 16 hits, one blocked shot, and he was a minus-2. However, he came up big in Game 6 with a game-winning goal and an assist for two points, along with seven hits, and a blocked shot.
The fact that Pacioretty wears number 67, and the Leafs haven't won the Stanley Cup since 1967 is not lost on anyone. Some believe it's an omen of good fortune. We'll have to wait and see if they're right. First, the Leafs need to get past the Florida Panthers in round two. The Leafs will have home-ice advantage against the reigning Cup champions in a rematch from the second round of the 2023 NHL playoffs.
Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving's Guys Getting the Job Done
Max Pacioretty is one of the guys that GM Brad Treliving brought in to reshape the culture in the Leafs locker room. Others include Chris Tanev, Steven Lorentz, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Anthony Stolarz, Max Domi, Scott Laughton, Simon Benoit, and Brandon Carlo. All of these players made an impact in one way or another in the first round.
Anthony Stolarz has given the Leafs some stellar goaltending in these playoffs. Some questioned whether or not to rest him and let Woll play a game, but he is the clear number one guy and Berube is going to ride or die with him. Tanev and Carlo have been great defensively. Benoit has been a pleasant surprise both defensively and offensively. Domi and his linemates did a great job keeping the puck in the Senators zone and were the perfect energy line.
Ekman-Larsson scored the first goal of the series and played well all series. Laughton set up Ekman-Larsson for the first goal of the series, and it was his incredible shot block at the end of the game that allowed William Nylander to go down the ice and score on the empty net to make it a 4-2 game. Pacioretty's grit along with his game-winning goal in game six will keep him in the lineup when the Leafs begin their second-round series against the Florida Panthers.