TORONTO – Auston Matthews scored his 61st and 62nd goals of the season, and had an assist as the Toronto Maple Leafs took a 5-1 lead and held on to beat the Florida Panthers 6-4 in a potential first-round playoff preview on Monday.
Nick Robertson and Matthew Knies also scored and assisted for Toronto (43-22-9), while Tyler Bertuzzi and David Kampf scored the other goals.
Ilya Samsonov saved 27 shots for the Leafs, who were missing five regular players, including star winger Mitch Marner (high ankle sprain) for an 11th straight game.
Vladimir Tarasenko scored a goal and had two assists for Florida (47-23-5). Sam Reinhart, with his 52nd goal of the season, and Sam Bennett and Brandon Montour also scored. Sergei Bobrovsky allowed five goals on 16 shots through two periods before being replaced. Anthony Stolarz made eight saves in relief.
The Leafs, currently third in the Atlantic Division, would have faced Florida if the playoffs had started Monday, but they missed the chance to clinch a post-season spot for an eighth consecutive year due to other game results.
The Panthers, on the other hand, could have taken the top spot in the Atlantic from the Boston Bruins with a victory.
Toronto, who lost to Florida in five games last spring in the second round of the playoffs as the Panthers went to the Stanley Cup final, scored first at 13:59 of the first period when Robertson scored his 12th goal of the season on a breakaway after a turnover at the Leafs’ blue line.
Matthews, who became the ninth player in NHL history with two 60-goal seasons in a game against the Sabres in Buffalo, extended the lead 33 seconds later when T.J. Brodie set him up for his 61st goal.
Samsonov got his third shutout of the season over the weekend, and prevented the Panthers from scoring on a power play when he reached back to stop a puck on the goal line after blocking Bennett’s shot.
Florida scored 47 seconds into the second period when Montour’s shot through a screen got past Samsonov for his seventh goal, but Bertuzzi scored 39 seconds later after a pass from Matthews at Bobrovsky’s crease.
Samsonov then made a crucial save on Anton Lundell that got the Scotiabank Arena crowd on their feet.
Kampf made it 4-1 at 8:32 with his seventh goal after a battle behind Florida’s net won by Leafs enforcer Ryan Reaves.
Knies, who set up Robertson’s breakaway in the first period, scored his 13th goal with a setup from Pontus Holmberg for a 5-1 lead after 40 minutes.
Tarasenko scored at 2:12 of the third period, tipping in his 22nd goal — his fifth since being acquired from the Ottawa Senators before last month’s trade deadline.
Reinhart reduced the deficit to 5-3 with 8:02 left in regulation with his 52nd goal as the Panthers continued to push, before Bennett got Florida within one with 1:50 remaining, scoring his ninth goal.
But Matthews scored his 62nd into an empty net to seal the victory after some tense moments.
RIELLY INCREASING INTENSITY
Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly (upper-body injury) participated in the optional morning skate and might rejoin the team for Tuesday’s practice.
Toronto forward Calle Jarnkrok (hand) as well as defencemen Joel Edmundson (undisclosed) and Timothy Liljegren (upper-body) continue to be sidelined.
PRIME VIEWING POSITION
Reaves was not present for Matthews’ first 60-goal season in 2021-22. The large winger is enjoying the experience this season.
“I’m absorbing it all,” he said Monday morning. “It’s enjoyable to watch. I’ve had superior seats than anybody.”
UP NEXT
Florida: Travels to the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday.
Toronto: Welcomes the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday.
This report by The Canadian Press was initially published on April 1, 2024.
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