The Toronto Maple Leafs are heading home with more playoffs to play after staving off elimination in Florida last night thanks to their 2-1 win. William Nylander and Mitch Marner silenced the critics by scoring the two goals for the Leafs. Joseph Woll won his first career playoff start and got his 10th win in his first 12 starts in the NHL.

Recap: Maple Leafs live another day
The Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers played a hard, safe, cautious game that was filled with shots, chances, and incompetent reffing.
PPP LeafsAdam Selvig

Shockingly, the Leafs are the first team to not get swept down 0-3 in six years. Sadly, the team to do it were the Blue Jackets, who ended up losing in five to the Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round.

The last team to win both Games 4 and 5 after going down 0-3 was the Flyers in 2016 in the first round against Washington. They lost in six. The last team who made it to Game 7 were the 2014 LA Kings who won that game and went all the way. Hopefully the Leafs can emulate that magic.

William Nylander gave the media and his haters pikachu face by stating plainly that you can have fun and be serious at the same time.

Joe Woll is just happy to be here. Hopefully it's for more than just another couple of days.

Woll's first playoff win was an elimination game, he's the 11th Leafs goalie to do that, the last one being Felix the Cat.

Don't make it the last good one, Sheldon!

Before the game, I wrote a story on how the first three (now four) games of the series are gone and nothing earned then can be reaped now. All they can do is continue to out-play the Panthers and hope the bounces go their way. They did it once, 25% of the way there.

Expected Goals and the Gambler’s Fallacy
For the Toronto Maple Leafs, the series against the Florida Panthers has had a much different arrangement than the one against the Tampa Bay Lightning. I have two points to make around this. My shorter point is I think the Leafs prepared well for the Lightning defensively with their specialized
PPP LeafsHardev

Brigstew has begun wrapping up the seasons of several Leafs prospects as their junior years come to an end. Yesterday was Fraser Minten.

How did Fraser Minten improve this year?
Looking at how Fraser Minten improved as a prospect this season, from his dangerous wrist shot to his ability to link all his skills together.
PPP LeafsBrian S

Ty Voit was also assigned to the Toronto Marlies yesterday after his OHL playoffs ended.

Rodion Amirov has signed a one year extension with Salavat Yulaev. Not sure what this means for his health and playing career, but if he is able to play again, he has a place to go and a local organization to support him.

With Ilya Samsonov out, the Leafs have recalled Dennis Hildeby to be the third goalie and EBUG at games. It saves them from needing to rely on accountants or zamboni drivers.

As you can imagine, the clout chasing from various mayoral candidates around the Leafs is head-shakingly sad.

NHL Playoffs

Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1 over Florida Panthers
FLA leads 3-1
Re-Verse Sweep!! Re-Verse Sweep!! Re-Verse Sweep!!

Edmonton Oilers 4-1 over Vegas Golden Knights
Series tied 2-2
Three goals in the first were enough to tie the series at two for the Oilers against the Knights.

Erik Karlsson, Connor McDavid, and David Pastrnak have been named the three nominees for the Ted Lindsay Award for Most Outstanding Player as voted for the players. If you ask me, this trophy matters more than the Hart. By the players, voting for the best player.

Karlsson, McDavid, Pastrnak named Ted Lindsay Award finalists
Erik Karlsson, Connor McDavid and David Pastrnak were named finalists for the Ted Lindsay Award on Wednesday.
NHL.com

Comcast get their mouthpiece at the top of the Flyers organization as they hire local broadcaster and former player Keith Jones to be president of hockey ops. The Flyers ownership has been chasing profits through cheap success for decades now and it doesn't look like anything is about to change.

SportsCenter host John Anderson called Zach Whitecloud toilet paper on air. This was discussed in the FTB yesterday, but here are some words from Whitecloud on the matter.

Manitoba NHLer accepts U.S. sportscaster’s apology for slur that mocked First Nations heritage | CBC News
Zach Whitecloud, a defenceman for the Vegas Golden Knights, says he accepts the apology of an American sportscaster who made a derogatory joke about his surname after a Stanley Cup playoff game on Monday night.
CBCStephen Ripley
From The Branches