May 5, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz (41) and Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett (9) battle for position in front of the goal during the second period of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. (John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/2833e21a-4bb8-45a7-84bb-88fe076339f9.jpeg] May 5, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz (41) and Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett (9) battle for position in front of the goal during the second period of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. (John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images) The Florida Panthers will be looking to get off to a better start in Game 2 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Florida fell behind early during Game 1 on Monday night at Scotiabank Arena and now must pick up a key victory to avoid heading back to Sunrise in a 0-2 series hole. Much of the attention following game one was surrounding Toronto goaltender Anthony Stolarz and Florida center Sam Bennett. Stolarz left Game 1 during the second period and was replaced by Joseph Woll after Bennett caught Stolarz with a forearm to the head. Earlier in the game, Stolarz took a shot from Sam Reinhart to the head that caused his helmet to pop off, which also may have contributed to his injury. The status of Stolarz for Game 2 had not been determined as of Tuesday evening, and answers will likely come when the Maple Leafs hold their morning skate on Wednesday. The Panthers will have Bennett in the lineup, as he was not penalized on the play and did not face any subsequent disciplinary action from the NHL. Florida will also welcome defenseman Aaron Ekblad back into the lineup for Game 2. Ekblad was serving a two-game suspension for a hit to the head of Tampa Bay’s Brandon Hagel during Game 4 of Florida’s opening round victory over the Lightning. He only played two games in the series due to a 20-game suspension handed to Ekblad during the regular season for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancing substances. Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Game 2 in Toronto: Carter Verhaeghe – Sasha Barkov – Sam Reinhart Evan Rodrigues – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Brad Marchand A.J. Greer – Nico Sturm – Jesper Boqvist Gus Forsling – Aaron Ekblad Niko Mikkola – Seth Jones Nate Schmidt – Dmitry Kulikov Scratches: Mackie Samoskevich, Uvis Balinskis, Jonah Gadjovich, Tomas Nosek, Jaycob Megna LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA Three takeaways: Panthers struggle recovering from poor start, penalty kill remains major strength [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/three-takeaways-panthers-struggle-recovering-from-poor-start-penalty-kill-remains-major-strength] Sam Bennett speaks about hit on Anthony Stolarz, no supplemental discipline expected [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/sam-bennett-speaks-about-hit-on-anthony-stolarz-no-supplemental-discipline-expected] Panthers Sign Promising Prospect To Entry-Level Deal [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/panthers-sign-promising-prospect-to-entry-level-deal] Panthers Red-Hot Forward Is Hitting New Level This Playoffs [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/panthers-red-hot-forward-is-hitting-new-level-this-playoffs] Report: Stolarz hospitalized, Leafs' coach feels Bennett 'elbow to the head' was 'clear as day' [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/report-stolarz-hospitalized-leafs-coach-feels-bennett-elbow-to-the-head-was-clear-as-day]
