Florida
Florida had all the momentum against Toronto, then came out flat in Game 6 | D’Angelo
Two-Minute Drill: Panthers look to move on; FHSAA baseball, softball finals
The Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs each won both of their home games through four games of their second round NHL playoffs.
SUNRISE — If any team should feel good about playing a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup playoffs, it’s the Florida Panthers.
Especially when the Panthers are coming off a season in which their last Game 7 resulted in a Stanley Cup championship.
And especially since that Game 7 is in Toronto.
Yes, the Maple Leafs did something completely out of character for this franchise, they came up clutch in a crucial playoff game. Toronto knotted this second-round series against the Panthers at three games each with a stunning 2-0 victory in Game 6 at Amerant Bank Arena.
Toronto staved off elimination on a goal by its maligned superstar, Auston Matthews, 6:20 into the third period before Max Pacioretty’s insurance goal eight minutes later.
The two teams will meet May 18 in Game 7 in Toronto, the winner moving on to face the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference final.
Now, the Panthers must get back to the type of hockey that allowed them to overcome an 0-2 series deficit with three straight wins, not the uninspiring start to Game 6 that gave the Maple Leafs confidence.
And Toronto has to overcome the ghosts of an underachieving franchise that has defined playoff misery.
“They’re free,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said about Game 7s. “They are. All the energy you’ve got with no concern for tomorrow. You’ve talked about your game enough all year, everyone understands the game. There’ll be a lot extra coffee. We’ll be ready to go.”
Florida played a role in Toronto overcoming a humiliating 6-1 home loss in Game 5, a game that has proven to be an outlier in this series with the other five all decided by two goals or fewer.
The Panthers came out flat in Game 6, managing just two shots in the first period despite have two power plays to Toronto’s zero. Not that the chances were not there for the taking, but the Cats appeared a tick too late getting to the puck in the offensive zone.
To the surprise of its entire fan base, Toronto was not going to fold.
“We played a simple game tonight and we were determined,” Toronto coach Craig Berube said. “We managed the puck really well. We didn’t have many turnovers. A lot of simple things.”
Florida got back to its style in the second period, starting with a 10-0 advantage on shots. Even then, Toronto did a good job of limiting the high-end chances. When it didn’t, Joseph Woll looked like the goalie who shined in a 2-0 defeat in Game 4 and not the one who was pulled in Game 5 after allowing five goals on 25 shots.
The Panthers’ best chance, perhaps in the game, came in the first period on a 2-on-1 in which Eetu Luostarinen held the puck, faked out the Leafs defense and appeared surprised to find himself wide open in front of Woll. So surprised his shot sailed wide over the goaltender’s blocker.
In the third period, soon after Matthews broke the scoreless tie, Brad Marchand had an open net with Woll out of position but could not get to the puck on time.
Those were shots the Panthers were getting to and sticking in the net the last three games.
Maple Leafs protected goaltender Joseph Woll
One reason the Panthers had difficulty getting high-end shots on Woll was because the Maple Leafs did the one thing they have done exceptionally well this entire series, prevent their opponents from reaching their goaltender.
Toronto blocked 31 shots, nine more than the Panthers actually got on goal.
“They had a good number the entire series, you kind of expect that,” Maurice said. “I just thought we were late getting it off our stick. I thought we were waving the gun a lot, didn’t want to pull the trigger on a few.”
Toronto was an overtime goal in Game 3 from taking a 3-0 stranglehold in this series. Then the Maple Leafs entered Game 6 down 3-2 in the series and having scored one of the last 10 goals.
Matthews flipped that script in Game 6 with a shot that got past Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky after a turnover by defenseman Gustav Forsling. It was a goal that lifted a weight the size of Ontario off his, and the team’s, shoulders.
The goal was Matthews’ first in 11 second-round series games during his career.
But none of that will matter if Toronto adds another chapter to its playoff failures in Game 7.
Maple Leafs’ last Stanley Cup came when Beatles were still together
Toronto’s last Stanley Cup came in 1967, the year Elvis Presley got married and The Beatles released “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” The Leafs have made the playoffs the last nine years but have not advanced past the second round in 23 years.
And Toronto has lost its last four Game 7s. Its last win coming in 2004.
Florida has played in the last two Stanley Cup finals, hoisting the cup last year with a 2-1 Game 7 victory over Edmonton in South Florida.
The Panthers are 8-1 in their last nine playoff series.
Advantage: Florida.
“Everyday in the playoffs you gain a lot of experience, you learn a lot from those moments,” Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov said. “(Game 6) wasn’t the result we wanted. Just regroup and recover and get ready for Game 7.”
Tom D’Angelo is a senior sports columnist and reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at tdangelo@pbpost.com.
Florida
Florida high school football team pulls off miraculous touchdown to help win state championship
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A Florida high school state football championship finished with a phenomenal ending for one team and absolute heartbreak for the other on Saturday night.
Lake Mary High School was down six points with seven seconds left in the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 7A title game against Vero Beach. Noah Grubbs dropped back to pass and rolled to his right. He gained momentum and fired the ball, which was tipped and caught short of the goal line.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
A Lake Mary quarterback looks to throw in the FHSAA Class 7A state championship, Dec. 13, 2025, at Pitbull Stadium in Miami. (Crystal Vander Weit/TCPALM/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
As Vero Beach defenders tried to keep receiver Barrett Schultz out of the end zone, Schultz’s teammate Tavarius Brundidge Jr. came around and took the ball out of Schultz’s hands. Brundidge ran the ball into the end zone to complete the wild and chaotic play.
The touchdown tied the game, and Lake Mary would kick the extra point to win, 28-27.
INDIANA’S FERNANDO MENDOZA WINS 2025 HEISMAN TROPHY
A Lake Mary player in the FHSAA Class 7A state championship, Dec. 13, 2025, makes a catch at Pitbull Stadium in Miami. (Crystal Vander Weit/TCPALM/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
“I was just hoping and praying like everyone else that he was going to come down with the football and Barrett did,” Lake Mary head coach Scott Perry said, via TC Palm. “… We were just going to keep fighting and fighting until the final whistle.”
Vero Beach tried to run out the clock the best they could. The team decided to take a safety with 12 seconds left, and gave the ball back to Lake Mary.
A Vero Beach player is stunned after the FHSAA Class 7A state championship, Dec. 13, 2025, at Pitbull Stadium in Miami. (Crystal Vander Weit/TCPALM/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
It was the first state championship for Lake Mary in its history.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Gisele Bündchen and her boyfriend, Joaquim Valente, soaked up the sun during a jet skiing date in Florida.
The model and the MMA athlete appeared in good spirits while on the water near their home in Surfside on Saturday.
They both stayed close to each other and sported life vests.
Bündchen, 35, appeared to be wearing a white one-piece bathing suit underneath her vest.
She accessorized with sunglasses and styled her hair in a ponytail.
As for Valente, he sported black swim trunks.
The couple, who have been romantically linked since 2023, enjoyed some quality time together after welcoming a son together in February.
While Bündchen and Valente have shied away from revealing too much about their infant, they recently took him out on a boat ride in September.
At the time, the former Victoria’s Secret model was seen cradling her son while her beau took the wheel.
Valente then adorably held onto their 10-month-old, as Bündchen watched in awe.
The health guru also shared a rare glimpse of her son alongside her 16-year-old son, Benjamin, in October.
The teenager adorably held onto his little brother while playing the piano.
Bündchen shares Benjamin and her daughter Vivian, 13, with her ex-husband, Tom Brady.
The exes were wed from 2009 to 2022.
The former NFL star also shares an 18-year-old son, Jack, with his ex Bridget Moynahan.
The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) football state championships continued last night down in Miami at Pitbull Stadium as the Raines Vikings upset the Northwestern Bulls for the the Class 3A state championship, provind the most exciting game of the week thus far. Another rematch from last year’s finals pits the American Heritage Patriots versus the Jones Tigers for the Class 4A state championship this afternoon. We preview the sixth of seven FHSAA state championship games as teams begin being crowned as champions of their classifications.
How to Watch American Heritage vs. Jones in Florida 4A state championship game
Date: Saturday, Dec. 13
Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
Location: Pitbull Stadium in Miami, Fla.
TV Channel: NFHS Network
American Heritage Players to Watch
QB Leon Strawder: Strawder is making his second consecutive appearance in a state championship game, this time with a different team, however. The senior has thrown for 2,052 yards and 19 touchdowns.
WR Jamar Denson: Of the star-studded wide receiving corps for American Heritage, its Denson who has been Mr. Reliable thus far this season. Throughout the course of the season, Denson has hauled in 69 passes for 991 yards and 15 touchdowns.
WR Jeffar Jean-Noel: The Georgia Tech commit has been the second option behind Denson on offense, with Jean-Noel catching 57 passes for 795 yards and six touchdowns.
LB Dylan Bennett: Anchoring the front seven of the Patriots’ defense is the senior linebacker, who currently leads the team with 61 total tackles, 17 them going for a loss and five sacks.
Jones Players to Watch
QB Dereon Coleman: The Miami signee is as calm as they come in the pocket as the senior quarterback has thrown for 2,749 yards, 28 touchdowns and only three picks this Florida high school football season.
WR Larry Miles: Coleman’s favorite target to throw to is the Nebraska signee as the senior looks to end his high school career with a state crown. Miles has caught 88 passes for 1,111 and 10 touchdowns.
OL Xavier Payne: The 6-foot-7, 275-pound Colorado offensive tackle signee will have the job of making sure Coleman stands upright throughout the afternoon against American Heritage’s pass rush.
EDGE Frederick Ards: The 2027 four-star EDGE rusher for the Tigers has been superb, racking up 73 tackles, 13 for loss and 11 sacks.
Where to Watch the Florida Class 4A state championship on livestream:
You can watch the American Heritage Patriots take on the Jones Tigers starting at 12:30 p.m. ET on NFHS Network.
For Florida high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the Sunshine State, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the high school football excitement across the state of Florida.
Sherrod Brown pitches himself as blue-collar populist while raking in cash from Hollywood celebrities
High-stakes map fight: Here are the next battlegrounds in the Trump vs. Democrats redistricting showdown
North Carolina teen sues school after Charlie Kirk tribute sparked ‘criminal investigation’ and censorship
Rioters arrested after attacking ICE vehicles in New York City; officials say group organized on social media
What are Detroit Lions’ NFL playoffs odds? Latest playoff picture
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Video: ‘It Didn’t Have to Happen This Way:’ U.Va. Faculty Call for Review of Police Response to Protests
Trump’s election win filled Hamas with ‘fear,’ hostage held like ‘slave’ for 505 days recounts
In Khartoum, exhumation of makeshift graves reawakens families’ grief
Manhunt under way for attacker after two students killed at US university
Video: At Least Two Killed in Shooting at Brown University
FBI ousts reinstated whistleblower over unauthorized media talks, ‘poor judgment’
-
Alaska1 week agoHowling Mat-Su winds leave thousands without power
-
Texas1 week agoTexas Tech football vs BYU live updates, start time, TV channel for Big 12 title
-
Washington5 days agoLIVE UPDATES: Mudslide, road closures across Western Washington
-
Iowa1 week agoMatt Campbell reportedly bringing longtime Iowa State staffer to Penn State as 1st hire
-
Miami, FL1 week agoUrban Meyer, Brady Quinn get in heated exchange during Alabama, Notre Dame, Miami CFP discussion
-
Cleveland, OH1 week agoMan shot, killed at downtown Cleveland nightclub: EMS
-
Iowa1 day agoHow much snow did Iowa get? See Iowa’s latest snowfall totals
-
World7 days ago
Chiefs’ offensive line woes deepen as Wanya Morris exits with knee injury against Texans
