Bobrovsky stops 23 shots, Panthers top Maple Leafs 2-0 in Game 4 to tie series

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — It's a formula the Florida Panthers keep using in the playoffs: Take a lead after two periods, then let Sergei Bobrovsky and the defense do the rest.

And it worked again.

Bobrovsky stopped 23 shots for his fifth career playoff shutout, Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett scored and the Panthers beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-0 on Sunday night in Game 4 to even the Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Florida has won 25 consecutive playoff games when leading after two periods, a streak that goes back to May 5, 2022.

“It’s a series," Bobrovsky said. “The bigger games are ahead, so we’re excited about them. The series comes down to a best-of-three, so it's a big game, next one.”

Home-ice advantage has held, and Toronto will hope that trend continues in Game 5 on Wednesday night. The Leafs won Games 1 and 2 at home, then dropped Games 3 and 4 in Sunrise.

"We had looks," Toronto coach Craig Berube said. “They're doing a good job of swarming us with numbers, obviously. ... It's a battle out there. This is what it is. They don't give you a lot.”

Verhaeghe scored on a power play — Florida's fourth of the game — in the first period, Bennett added the insurance score with 7:50 left and Bobrovsky did the rest for his second shutout of this postseason.

Joseph Woll stopped 35 shots for the Maple Leafs.

“He was great,” Berube said. “He played an excellent game."

Verhaeghe's goal came after Matthew Tkachuk, along the left-wing boards, threaded a pass through the slot and past two defenders. It found Verhaeghe — who slammed a one-timer past Woll.

That was part of an early spree for Florida. The Panthers took 21 of the game's first 26 shots on net, controlling play for long stretches and keeping all the action in front of Woll. He held firm, time and again, keeping Toronto in it.

Bennett said enough.

He came in from Woll's left, with Verhaeghe opposite him, looking for a passing lane. When none appeared, Bennett went to the front of the net, watched Woll commit, then pushed the puck into the net before punching the air.

“That was more like the type of Panthers playoff hockey that we're used to,” Bennett said.

It got chippy late, as games this late in a series tend to do.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson — part of the Florida team that won the Stanley Cup last season — delivered a shot to the head and neck area of Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues about five minutes into in the third period. It was originally called a major, then downgraded to a minor after review.

Rodrigues will need further evaluation Monday, Panthers coach Paul Maurice said.

And four players — Toronto’s Max Domi for boarding Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov; and Toronto’s Bobby McMann, Florida’s Aaron Ekblad and Panthers forward Brad Marchand on his 37th birthday — all got 10-minute misconducts as time expired.

“I think he'll be all right," Maurice said about Barkov.

AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice, center right, shouts instructions at his team during the second period of Game 4 of a second-round NHL hockey playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Sunday, May 11, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Michael Laughlin)

Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) shoots against Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll (60) during the first period of Game 4 of a second-round NHL hockey playoff series, Sunday, May 11, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Michael Laughlin)

Florida Panthers center Carter Verhaeghe (23) celebrates after scoring during the first period of Game 4 of a second-round NHL hockey playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Sunday, May 11, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Michael Laughlin)

Florida Panthers center Carter Verhaeghe (23) celebrates after scoring during the first period of Game 4 of a second-round NHL hockey playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Sunday, May 11, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Michael Laughlin)

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) catches the puck in front of Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (34) during the first period of Game 4 of a second-round NHL hockey playoff series, Sunday, May 11, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Michael Laughlin)

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Philip Rivers has made the postgame walk to answer tough questions dozens of times over his previous 17 NFL seasons.

This time seemed different.

With the Indianapolis Colts having been eliminated from the postseason for a fifth consecutive year even before Rivers and his teammates took the field Sunday, the 44-year-old Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalist knows he may have taken his last snap.

“It’s been an absolute blast for three weeks and if I go back now and said, ‘All right, now you know everything that’s going to happen, what are you going to do? I’d do it all again,’” Rivers said after the Colts lost 23-17 to Jacksonville. “So, yeah, if it’s the last one, it’s the last one. I thought the last one was walking off the field in Buffalo (in January 2021), walking up that tunnel and I was fine with that. I had tears those few days after that and I was at peace with that being the last one. So, certainly, if it is (the last one), I got three more bonus games that I never saw coming.”

Rivers provided two elements the Colts (8-8) needed when they brought him out of a five-year retirement. His passion energized the locker room after Daniel Jones suffered a season-ending torn Achilles tendon, and he gave the Colts a chance to pull themselves out of a historic second-half swoon in which they became just the sixth team since 1970 — and the first in 30 years — to start 7-1 and miss the playoffs.

But Rivers has lost all three of his starts, with the Colts' overall skid now at six games.

His late interception at Seattle ended the Colts' bid for a miracle rally. And an interception Sunday on a tipped ball allowed the Jags (12-4) to kick the tiebreaking field goal with 6:58 to play.

While Rivers took accountability for both miscues with his typical down-home demeanor, he knows he's not the face of the Colts' future.

So with one meaningless game remaining next weekend at Houston, the Colts could give Rivers one more start, but it might make sense for them to take a look at Anthony Richardson — the No. 4 overall draft pick in 2023 — or rookie Riley Leonard. Richardson has not been activated from the injured reserve list but has started practicing.

“I'll figure that out Tuesday,” coach Shane Steichen said.

If Rivers' career is over, again, five years after he left the first time, he has no regrets.

He rented a place in Indianapolis, moved his entire family back to Indy for the final month of the season and brought dozens of players from St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Alabama — where he's the head coach — to Lucas Oil Stadium to watch his home finale.

In career start No. 423, Rivers surpassed Hall of Famer Warren Moon as the fourth-oldest quarterback to start in the NFL. Rivers played at 44 years, 20 days; Moon was 44 years and eight days.

If he makes start No. 424, Rivers would pass Vinny Testaverde — 44 years and 26 days — as the third oldest, trailing only Steve DeBerg and seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady.

Rivers ranks sixth in league history in TD passes with 425 and is eighth on the career yards passing list with 63,984 — just behind Matthew Stafford and 105 yards away from moving past two-time Super Bowl winner Ben Roethlisberger.

Rivers knows he may not get that chance.

“I’m going to be on board and supportive of whatever the organization, Shane and whoever, however that decision is going to come to be,” Rivers said. “I’m sure I’ll have some conversation. It won’t just be a blind-side Tuesday conversation for me. And I’m going to be on board to do what’s best for the guys.”

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers jogs off the field following an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Nick Mullens (14) talks with Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers (17) following an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers (17) watches from the sideline during the second half of an NFL football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers (17) throws under pressure from Jacksonville Jaguars safety Eric Murray (29) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)