The defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers opened their second-round series against the Maple Leafs in Toronto with a 5-4 loss Monday night, but they nearly flipped a lackluster start into dramatic late comeback,

Both teams rolled through their first-round matchups — top-seeded Toronto advanced after dispatching the No. 4 Ottawa Senators in six games, while the third-seeded Panthers made quick work of the No. 2 Tampa Bay Lightning, winning the series 4-1.

The Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs play Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinals series in the Stanley Cup Playoffs Monday in Toronto.