NHL Playoffs 2023: Top Storylines for May 12 Schedule

The Toronto Maple Leafs need to fend off elimination three more times to advance to the Eastern Conference Final.

Toronto stayed alive in its Stanley Cup Playoffs second-round matchup against the Florida Panthers with a Game 4 win on Wednesday, and now it must win Friday's Game 5 on home ice to keep the series going for two more days.

Toronto's stars turned in their best game of the series to date in Game 4. Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares and Mitch Marner need to replicate their Game 4 production to put Florida under some pressure.

Canada's other remaining Stanley Cup hopeful, the Edmonton Oilers, continue the most unpredictable second-round series with the Vegas Golden Knights in Friday's second game.

Edmonton and Vegas traded victories in the first four games. The last three contests were won by three goals or more.

Connor McDavid and Co. must find a way to break the series trend to have a chance to close out the series at home in Game 6.

Vegas needs to find the offensive form it displayed in Games 1 and 3 to once again shift the balance of power in the series.

May 12 Stanley Cup Playoffs Schedule

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EDMONTON, CANADA - MAY 10: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins #93 of the Edmonton Oilers shoots the puck against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game Four of the Second Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place on May 10, 2023, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)

Game 5: Florida at Toronto (7 p.m. ET, TNT)

Game 5: Edmonton at Vegas (10 p.m. ET, TNT)

Toronto's Core Four Need Another Strong Showing

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TORONTO, ON - MAY 4: William Nylander #88 of the Toronto Maple Leafs plays the puck abasing the Florida Panthers during the third period in Game Two of the Second Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Scotiabank Arena on May 4, 2023 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images)

Toronto's "Core Four" played their best game of the Florida series to keep the Leafs alive for Game 5.

Marner and Nylander scored the two Toronto goals. Marner, Matthews, Nylander and Tavares combined for 16 of the 25 shots saved by Sergei Bobrovsky.

Each player entered Game 4 with two or fewer points in the series. Those totals were unacceptable for the leaders of a team that just fell flat in the opening three games against the Panthers.

Toronto still has not scored more than two goals in the series, but at least it matched Florida's defensive intensity in Game 4 with one concession.

The Leafs' top players need to be even better on Friday to avoid elimination. Their minimum requirement should be to contribute to three goals.

Florida's offense produced 10 goals in its three victories, and if the Panthers are better in front of net, the Leafs must match them.

An ideal start for Toronto would feature one or two goals in the opening 10 minutes to get the crowd on its side and shift all of the Game 5 pressure to the visitors.

If Toronto's top skaters play up to their potential and the fast start happens, the Leafs can at least send the series back to Florida for Game 6 on Sunday.

Florida just needs to keep playing its strong defensive style. The Panthers should take confidence in holding the Leafs to two goals on 25 shots. They need to find a way to score more than Game 4 to match whatever the Leafs produce in their attacking zone.

Unpredictable Edmonton-Vegas Continues

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EDMONTON, CANADA - MAY 10: Adin Hill #33 of the Vegas Golden Knights makes a save against Zach Hyman #18 of the Edmonton Oilers in Game Four of the Second Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place on May 10, 2023, in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)

The Edmonton-Vegas series has been full of twists.

Vegas won Game 1 despite Leon Draisaitl's four-goal effort. Edmonton rallied to win in blowout fashion in Game 2, and then the two sides traded multi-goal wins in Alberta.

Neither side has gained control in the series, which makes Game 5 so fascinating from a neutral perspective.

Edmonton will try to follow up on its 4-1 win in Game 4 to bring the series back home with a chance to clinch a spot in the Western Conference Final.

The Oilers could use another big game out of Draisaitl, who only had one shot on goal and an assist in Game 4.

Draisaitl has 38 shots on target and 18 playoff points, so you would expect him to be more active in Game 5.

If Edmonton can partner a strong Draisaitl performance with its improved scoring depth from Game 4, it has a good chance of taking the win. Mattias Ekholm and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored their first goals of the postseason on Wednesday.

Vegas needs to find its own depth on offense to pull away in Game 5. The Golden Knights are still waiting for William Karlsson and Reilly Smith's first goals of the series.

Ivan Barbashev, Jack Eichel and Jonathan Marchessault have seven of the 13 goals in the series. Eichel and Marchessault have 41 combined shots. No other forward has more than eight attempts on goal.

If Vegas can find a way to get Karlsson, Smith and others going, it will improve its chances of not only winning Game 5, but also making a run to the Stanley Cup Final.