The Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs settle their series with an all-deciding Game 7 on Sunday night.
The pregame narrative: Maple Leafs fans are riding an emotional roller coaster with no clear ending. The team was lifeless in its Game 5 loss, but rebounded with a 2-0 shutout win in Game 6. What kind of Toronto will we see in Game 7? That’s the question everybody wants an answer to.
Check out my Panthers vs. Maple Leafs best bets for Game 7 of the second round, featuring a bet on Carter Verhaeghe.
Panthers vs. Maple Leafs best bets
Best Bet: Panthers moneyline (-134)
A few key factors influence my pick for this crucial Game 7.
The first is Toronto’s track record in these contests. The Maple Leafs have been brutal in Game 7s. They’ve lost six consecutive do-or-die contests, including five with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner in the fold.
Conversely, Florida is 2-0 in Game 7s since 2023.
Secondly, this series seems to have shifted in Florida’s favour, and I’m not letting one game sway my opinion. The Cats have won three of the last four matchups, outscoring Toronto 13-7 during this stretch.
The Maple Leafs’ offence has been especially anemic across their last three games, scoring just three goals in total.
Auston Matthews finally scored in Game 6, but I won’t be lining up to pat his back. The NHL’s second-highest paid player now has one goal in 11 career postseason games against the Panthers.
Toronto’s core has yet to prove it can win a Game 7, and until it does, I will fade the Maple Leafs.
Key stat: Sergei Bobrovsky has a .958 save percentage in his last three games.
Game 7 picks
Over 5.5 goals (+125): The standard goal total is set at five for this game, which seems a little odd considering how this series has played out.
The over on this total has cashed in four of six games, with each of those overs totalling seven-plus tallies.
Historically speaking, Game 7s haven’t produced much offence. Seven of eight Game 7s from the past two playoffs have gone below this total, including all four Game 7s from the 2024 postseason
That trend has taken a sharp turn in 2025, however, as both Game 7s from the first round went over this mark.
Joseph Woll has been solid for Toronto since replacing Anthony Stolarz, but this will be his first Game 7. It’s unclear how he’ll handle the magnitude of this game considering his lack of experience in this situation.
A nervous Woll could inflate Florida’s goal total and push this total over.
Verhaeghe to score 1+ points (-121): There are several reasons to like Verhaeghe’s points prop in this contest.
Firstly, he’s one of Florida’s top point producers in the playoffs. Verhaeghe’s eight points are two back of Sam Reinhart’s 10 for the team lead.
His spot in the Panthers’ lineup is enticing, too. He skates on the team’s second line, alongside Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk, and is featured on the top power play.
The winger has been productive in this series, registering five points in six outings.
Verhaeghe has been very dependable in big moments for the Panthers. He has a point in seven of Florida’s last nine series finales, totalling 12 during this stretch.
Expect him to be one of Florida’s most effective forwards in a crucial contest.
Panthers vs. Maple Leafs best bets made at 12:39 p.m. ET 05/17/2025.
Stevie’s an avid NFL, NHL, and tennis bettor who has no problem talking himself into the underdog. His previous stops include Yahoo! Sports Canada and Toronto Metropolitan University, where he received a degree in Sport Media.