Nick Cousins scored the overtime winner as the Florida Panthers held off the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 in Game 5 on Friday to advance to the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since 1996.

Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky played a key role in the victory, turning aside 50 of 52 shots.

Maple Leafs forward William Nylander netted the equalizer with less than five minutes remaining in regulation to force the extra frame. Toronto defenseman Morgan Rielly thought he tied the game earlier in the contest with his second goal of the middle frame, but the initial no-goal call was upheld upon review because the referee deemed the play dead before the puck crossed the line.

Aaron Ekblad and Carter Verhaeghe also found the back of the net for the Cardiac Cats.

The Maple Leafs failed to score more than twice in a game throughout the series and were largely stymied by Bobrovsky, who saved 7.64 goals above expected at all strengths in five contests, per Natural Stat Trick.

Toronto beat the Tampa Bay Lightning to break out of the first round for the first time since 2004, but the team has failed to find any other playoff success with its current core of players.

Despite that, some of the Maple Leafs made it clear that they want to stay the course.

"We all got years left on our contracts," Mitch Marner said postgame, per Sportsnet's Luke Fox. "I mean, I don't know. It's not up to us, but we got a lot of belief in this group. We got a lot of belief in that core. It sucks right now, but I got belief."

Rielly agreed with his teammate.

"I love these guys. I don't want any change," he said, per TSN's Chris Johnston.

The Panthers eliminated the Presidents' Trophy-winning Boston Bruins in seven games in the opening round.

Maple Leafs fans made waves for chanting, "We want Florida!" after Toronto eliminated the Bolts. Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk was pleased that his team was able to make them eat their words.

"We don't hear many 'We want Florida's' at this moment right now, and God, does that feel good," he said after Game 5, per TSN. "To do it in (Toronto), that's a big one, and that's an important one for us and our franchise."

Florida will take on the Carolina Hurricanes, who punched their ticket to the conference final after beating the New Jersey Devils in Game 5 on Thursday.

The Panthers and Hurricanes have never squared off in a playoff series, but there are still some connections between the two teams. Carolina captain Jordan Staal will face his brothers, Eric and Marc. Florida bench boss Paul Maurice was head coach of the Hurricanes franchise for parts of 13 seasons, dating back to the 1995-96 Hartford Whalers.

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Morgan Rielly and his Toronto Maple Leafs teammates thought they tied up Friday's Game 5 against the Florida Panthers late in the second period, but a play that was ruled no goal on the ice was upheld on review.

Here's a closer look at the play, along with the disappointed reactions from Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas and his staff.

The NHL said the referee blew the play dead before the puck crossed the line.

The Leafs did eventually score the tying goal, as William Nylander buried one with under five minutes left in the third period.

Rielly netted a goal earlier in the second frame to cut the Panthers' lead to 2-1.

The Panthers entered Game 5 leading the best-of-seven series 3-1.

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid, Florida Panthers stud Matthew Tkachuk, and Boston Bruins sniper David Pastrnak were announced as the 2022-23 Hart Trophy finalists Friday.

The Professional Hockey Writers Association votes to determine the winner of the Hart Trophy, which is given annually "to the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team."

McDavid is a five-time finalist for the hardware and two-time winner. He was also nominated Wednesday for the Ted Lindsay Award, which is voted on by members of the NHL Players' Association.

The megastar was once again in a league of his own this campaign, reaching new heights with 64 goals and an outlandish 153 points in 82 contests while factoring in on almost 50% of the Oilers' goals. McDavid recorded 45 multi-point games - including 10 with at least four points - and 14 multi-goal contests. With that consistent output, it's no wonder he captured the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy and Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's most prolific scorer.

McDavid led all skaters in goals above replacement (31.7) and wins above replacement (5.4) while producing at a rate of 2.09 goals and five points per 60 minutes at all strengths, according to Evolving Hockey.

Tkachuk is a first-time nominee for the Hart Trophy. The talented agitator's first season in Sunrise really couldn't have gone any better, and he was a key reason the Panthers forced their way into the playoffs. He led his teammates with a career-high 109 points (40 goals, 69 assists) in 79 contests and had the fifth-most even-strength points (72) in the league while boasting the fourth-highest point-per-game rate (1.38).

Florida scored 288 goals this campaign, meaning Tkachuk had a hand in approximately 38% of them. He ranked second league-wide in both goals above replacement (28.8) and wins above replacement (4.9), trailing only McDavid in both metrics.

Also a Ted Lindsay Award finalist, Pastrnak ranked second in the league with 61 goals and third with 113 points while skating in all 82 games. Sure, the Bruins were a well-oiled, dominant juggernaut in the regular season, but that was in large part due to Pastrnak, who also led all skaters in even-strength goals (43) and shots (407).

The gifted scorer didn't just pace the Bruins in goals and points - he blew his teammates out of the water. Pastrnak was 34 goals clear of Jake DeBrusk and Patrice Bergeron in second place and held a 46-point lead on Brad Marchand. Out of all skaters to play at least 10 games this campaign, Pastrnak led the field with a rate of 2.28 goals per 60 minutes in all situations.

Toronto Maple Leafs sniper Auston Matthews took home the Hart Trophy last season.

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New Jersey Devils players woke up Friday without a game on the schedule for the first time in seven months. It surely felt horrible to challenge the shorthanded Carolina Hurricanes in the second round but ultimately drop Game 5 and the series in overtime. Losing always sucks.

Give those players a few days, though, and the entirety of a wildly successful season should come into focus. The 2022-23 Devils set franchise records in wins and points. Center Jack Hughes leveled up from star to superstar. They beat the rival New York Rangers in the first round. Most crucially, they experienced the highs and lows of playoff hockey as a group.

This is only the beginning for New Jersey. Hughes, 21, and captain and Selke Trophy finalist Nico Hischier, 24, combine to cost only $15.25 million over the next four seasons. That's a dream scenario under next year's $83.5-million cap limit, and the sweetheart deals will get only sweeter as the limit rises.

Ondrej Palat, Dawson Mercer, and Michael McLeod - the latter of whom had a coming-out party in the playoffs - provide an enviable base for the supporting cast up front. The defense corps is in capable hands with veterans Dougie Hamilton, Jonas Siegenthaler, and John Marino under contract through 2026-27. The goalie duo of Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid isn't ideal but is competent enough and signed at a combined $4.25 million cap hit. And youngsters Alexander Holtz, Simon Nemec, and Luke Hughes - the latter looked both 19 years old and brilliant in three playoff games - all have star potential.

Otherwise, general manager Tom Fitzgerald has a good dozen decisions to make on free agents. The unrestricted class - Erik Haula, Tomas Tatar, Miles Wood, Damon Severson, and Ryan Graves - is a mixed bag, with the smart money on only one or two guys returning. The restricted class - Jesper Bratt, Timo Meier, McLeod, Kevin Bahl, Nathan Bastian, Jesper Boqvist, Yegor Sharangovich, and Mackenzie Blackwood - is naturally more straightforward.

The beauty of Fitzgerald keeping the books clear of albatross contracts while also locking up cornerstones on team-friendly deals is that New Jersey can tolerate imminent raises for 32-goal scorer Bratt and 40-goal scorer Meier. Fitzgerald can theoretically run back the same core and upgrade the club's depth pieces through free agency or trade. He has flexibility most GMs don't.

The Devils project to be the toast of the Metropolitan Division for years to come. They're one of a handful of teams across the entire league with an NHL roster, prospect pool, and cap sheet that screams future powerhouse.

Nothing to hang your head about, Jersey.

Woll's stock trending up

Regardless of what happens in Friday's Game 5 between Toronto and Florida, one thing appears certain: the Maple Leafs finally developed a goaltender.

Joseph Woll, a third-round pick in 2016, turned aside 24 of 25 shots in Wednesday's Game 4 to improve his career save percentage to .921. The Panthers didn't test him often in his first career playoff start and 14th overall appearance, but the 24-year-old still looked like he belonged in an NHL crease.

Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe, who opted to start Woll over two-time Stanley Cup winner Matt Murray in the wake of No. 1 goalie Ilya Samsonov's injury, said Woll is "ready for this." In the context of the big-market Leafs, "this" is the immense pressure associated with coming in cold while trailing in a series.

"He's dialed in, and he's just a really, really focused kid," Bruce Racine, Woll's former goalie coach in the St. Louis area, said via phone Thursday.

Racine, who's known Woll for 16 years, coaching him for the first 10 or so, praises the 6-foot-3, 203-pound goalie for his size, technical base, athleticism, and work ethic. It's all there. Yet Woll's edge is his mental makeup. He takes criticism well. He's intelligent on and off the ice. He's learned how to quickly get over bad goals and bad outings. He's calm, meditating between whistles.

One time, Racine gifted a young Woll a mental toughness packet: three pieces of paper stapled together containing lessons on mindset. For instance, if a coach is running a three-on-zero drill in practice, it's natural for a goalie to think, 'Oh my god, I hate this.' A healthier inner dialogue might be, 'OK, this is a tough drill, and I'm going to fight through it, no matter what.'

Woll, it turns out, cherished those three pages. "His mom told me a year and a half later that it's been on his bedside table the whole time," Racine said.

Put another way: So much of the goaltending position is mental, and Woll is advanced for his age. (Much like his former goalie partner Jake Oettinger.)

The Leafs haven't turned a draft pick into an NHL starter since James Reimer, a fourth-round selection in 2006. Woll, a Boston College alumnus with two world junior medals and 83 AHL games of experience, isn't quite ready for the No. 1 job, but he's tracking towards claiming it down the road. He's a bargain, too, signed for the next two years at $766,667 annually.

Endless respect for Cogliano

Injuries defined the 2022-23 Avalanche campaign, and next season is already off to a miserable start, with captain Gabriel Landeskog ruled out for 2023-24.

Andrew Cogliano is another Av with an uncertain future. The 35-year-old winger suffered a fractured neck in Game 6 of Colorado's first-round series loss to the Seattle Kraken. He was considered "out indefinitely" at the time and entered the offseason without a contract for 2023-24. Cogliano's endured plenty of wear and tear over 1,200-plus games spread across 16 seasons.

If this is it: Bravo.

Cogliano, the 25th overall pick in 2005, has an impeccable reputation. His teammates love him. Coaches love him. Rivals love him (as much as one loves a rival). And he's adapted his game over the years, becoming a pseudo-defensive specialist while bouncing from Edmonton to Anaheim, Dallas, and San Jose, before landing in Colorado. Prior to the 2022 trade deadline, Avs star Nathan MacKinnon reportedly lobbied management to acquire Cogliano.

At the end of the regular season, I poked around NHL dressing rooms to find out what makes a "good room." Figuring the wily vet would be an expert on the topic, I made sure to approach Cogliano when Colorado visited Toronto.

"Selflessness. That's probably the biggest thing, to be honest with you," Cogliano said matter of factly on March 15. "It's a business. It's a sport where you have to take care of yourself individually. That stuff matters. But a good room - a good team culture - comes when you get guys who are selfless and through their actions show that the team is more important than themselves."

To many, Cogliano embodies that selflessness through his commitment to the sport, once dressing for 830 consecutive games. He's long embraced the less desirable aspects of the job, like absorbing slap shots on the penalty kill.

"I remember last year watching the Stanley Cup when Colorado won, and so many of the guys who had been on that team for a while talked about how Cogliano had such a big impact," Detroit Red Wings forward Alex Chiasson said, bringing up Cogliano unprompted when discussing good rooms.

"He was traded at the deadline. He came into a new team. Yet they singled him out in interviews. That speaks for itself. He was playing 10 minutes a night. He knew his role. A lot of experience. But how much of his impact in the room translated to the ice? I'm sure that was really big, just because in such a short amount of time, he became so important to the rest of that group."

Parting shots

Defenseman factory: The Anaheim Ducks are likely taking forward Adam Fantilli second overall in June. It'll be more riveting to watch who they select with their other eight picks because Anaheim has an outstanding track record of drafting and developing blue-liners, regardless of draft slot. From 2008-18, the Ducks drafted Hampus Lindholm (sixth overall), Cam Fowler (12th), Jake Gardiner (17th), Shea Theodore (26th), Marcus Pettersson (38th), Justin Schultz (43rd), Brandon Montour (55th), Sami Vatanen (106th), and Josh Manson (160th). One day we might look at the 2019-22 cohort of Jamie Drysdale, Jackson LaCombe, Noah Warren, Pavel Mintyukov, Olen Zellweger, and Tristan Luneau just as fondly. Mintyukov (OHL), Zellweger (WHL), and Luneau (QMJHL) won their league's top defenseman award this year, making Anaheim incredibly the first NHL team to sweep all three in a single season.

Road-ice advantage: As of Friday morning, road teams in this year's playoffs owned a 39-29 record (a 57.4% win rate) and were being outscored by a single goal, 218-217. Last postseason, road teams went 35-54 (39.3% win rate) and were outscored significantly, 309-244. I'd love to say there's a seismic shift unfolding before our eyes, however, road teams' success this year might be an anomaly. You should always want the home-team benefit of last change and a favorable crowd. The wonky numbers probably speak more to the league's parity - the home team isn't necessarily the better team, but the one that cobbled together a few extra points over a long regular season.

Flyers hires: Philadelphia ownership is following a familiar playbook by hiring Keith Jones as its president of hockey operations and making Daniel Briere the permanent GM. Briere, who paid his dues as a minor-league executive and is by all accounts a sharp hockey mind, deserves to be the full-time GM. No issues there. Tapping a second ex-Flyer for the president's role is the eyebrow-raising part. The club could have brought in somebody with a deep hockey ops resume or track record of strong leadership in other fields to diversify the front office. Jones is a straight-up "hockey guy." That said, I don't hate the hire given the uniqueness of the Philly market and that Jones, a longtime broadcaster, has connections everywhere. Yes, there are inherent risks in again handing the keys to ex-players and an old-school coach in John Tortorella, but this isn't a guaranteed tire fire, as some suggest.

Takes, Thoughts, and Trends is theScore's biweekly hockey grab bag.

John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email (john.matisz@thescore.com).

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We have a juicy two-gamer ahead of us to begin the weekend. Elimination is on the line in the early window, while the late contest is a swing game with each team missing its best defensemen in the series due to suspension. Fun stuff!

Let's take a closer look at three of the bets that most stand out.

Panthers (+150) @ Maple Leafs (-175)

With their backs against the wall, the Maple Leafs took a different approach in Game 4 against the Panthers - and it worked.

Rather than try to open things up offensively and score their way to victory, they simplified their game and focused on playing the suffocating style opposing teams always try to use against them.

The Maple Leafs worked as hard without the puck as they did with it. They completely sucked the life out of the Panthers' attack at five-on-five, holding them to only 1.62 expected goals generated. That's nearly a full xG less than their previous lowest output in this series.

Perhaps the Maple Leafs felt this approach was necessary with youngster Joseph Woll between the pipes. Perhaps they felt it was the best way to win no matter who was between the pipes. Either way, the change paid off.

Toronto controlled more than 58% of the expected goal share at five-on-five, their second-highest total of the playoffs and best mark of the series. And they didn't give up a goal in that game state.

They had answers for all of the questions surrounding the team, too. It's so often been about the stars going quiet in an elimination games or the power play not finding a way to make its mark. Not in Game 4.

The Maple Leafs scored on one of their two power-play opportunities. William Nylander and Mitch Marner found the back of the net. Auston Matthews and John Tavares combined for nine shots and a bundle of chances. The stars did enough, and the defense was great behind them.

I expect Toronto to ride that wave and come through with another victory at home, where it really caused the Panthers problems defensively.

It feels like ages ago, but the Maple Leafs combined for more than nine expected goals over the first two home games. They made a few blunders in bad spots - and paid the price for it - but by and large generated chances in bulk. Sergei Bobrovsky was the only thing slowing them down.

I don't expect him to turn into Swiss cheese on a whim. Having said that, he has by far the highest second-round save percentage at .934. Sooner or later, one would expect that to regress and Bobrovsky to be the .900 goaltender we've watched for years now.

Should that regression start to kick in Friday night, the Maple Leafs will likely extend the series with a multi-goal victory inside 60 minutes.

Bet: Maple Leafs in regulation (-110)

Auston Matthews over 4.5 shots (-120)

Matthews let us down in Florida - he had four shots last time out - but we're going back to the well at home Friday night.

He put forth matching offensive performances in Games 1 and 2 of the series, recording six shots on 11 attempts in each.

The higher volume at home is a trend we've seen from Matthews - and many star players - all season long. His hit rate is 14% higher when playing in Toronto than on the road.

He should get a few extra shifts in cushier matchups, and in a do-or-die game, he could approach 25 minutes of ice if the game is close. He'll have every opportunity to get the job done.

Evan Bouchard over 2.5 shots (+115)

Bouchard has quietly posted some strong shooting numbers against the Golden Knights. He's attempted 25 shots through four games, good for an average of more than six per contest. That'll more often than not be enough for a player with a 2.5 line - and Bouchard is no different.

The Oilers defenseman has a 63% hit rate this season when attempting at least six shots. If we adjust to games where he had at least seven attempts, a number Bouchard has already hit twice this series, his success rate climbs to a whopping 74%.

I think we could see that sort of ceiling from Bouchard in this game. He's already the quarterback for the top power play. With Darnell Nurse suspended, he'll play an even bigger role at even strength as well.

Bouchard should log 22 minutes or more, which is more than enough time for such a trigger-happy player to get three shots.

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jesper Fast scored the winning goal just over seven minutes into overtime as the Carolina Hurricanes ended the New Jersey Devils' season with a 3-2 victory in Game 5 of their second-round series Thursday night.

The Hurricanes will face either the Florida Panthers or Toronto Maple Leafs in the Eastern Conference Final. The Panthers lead that series 3-1.

More to come.

Copyright © 2023 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.