TORONTO — The Florida Panthers took benefit of essential errors by the Toronto Maple Leafs, and now lead their second-round playoff sequence 2-0.
Sergei Bobrovsky made 35 saves and the Panthers defeated the Maple Leafs 3-2 on Thursday evening.
“Disappointing, baffling,” Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe mentioned. “We didn’t make those mistakes one time in the last series.”
Anton Lundell had a objective and an help, and Aleksander Barkov and Gustav Forsling additionally scored for Florida.
Ryan O’Reilly and Alexander Kerfoot scored for Toronto, which blew an early 2-0 lead. Ilya Samsonov stopped 26 pictures.
″(Go) again residence, look within the mirror,” Samsonov added. “And ask what I need to do more? This is what we need to do – everybody.”
PHOTOS: Panthers beat Maple Leafs 3-2, take 2-game lead in sequence
The best-of-seven sequence shifts to Sunrise, Florida, for Game 3 on Sunday. Game 4 is scheduled for Wednesday.
The Panthers are within the midst of a powerful run, taking a two-game lead within the sequence after eliminating the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Boston Bruins in seven video games, together with thrice on the street.
“It’s perspective,” Panthers head coach Paul Maurice mentioned. “That’s 5 video games in 9 nights of as intense, emotional stress you possibly can placed on a hockey group. We’ve been on an airplane for some time. We didn’t suppose we had a lot in our legs.
“It was just about character and it was just about fighting through it and battling.”
Toronto led 2-1 following a spirited, chippy first interval. Trouble discovered the Maple Leafs within the second.
Barkov tied the sport 19 seconds into the interval on an extended shot for his second objective of the postseason. Less than a minute later, there was some sloppy play by Toronto within the defensive zone when Mitch Marner flipped an ill-advised move to Auston Matthews, who couldn’t get it out of the zone.
Florida shortly countered as Forsling completed off a setup by Matthew Tkachuk – his fourth of the sequence – for his second and a 3-2 lead.
“We’re not just running around like animals,” Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk mentioned. “We’re just trying to play our identity.”
The Maple Leafs took some time to get well earlier than Nylander hit the put up with a shot that additionally hit Bobrovsky within the again and stayed out. Florida defenseman Brandon Montour then hit the put up on the different finish.
Toronto captain John Tavares had a terrific likelihood in entrance earlier than Josh Mahura took a Nylander shot off the visor that left a path of blood on the ice as he exited for the locker room. The Panthers defenseman returned for the third interval.
Toronto got here out for the third with loads of urgency, however couldn’t remedy Bobrovsky, who has began to rediscover his Vezina Trophy-winning kind in these playoffs after dropping the beginning job late within the common season to third-stringer Alex Lyon.
Tavares was stopped in alone and Nylander hit one other put up. The Maple Leafs winger was additionally denied in tight with 5 minutes left in regulation.
Toronto continued to press with Samsonov on the bench for an additional attacker, however couldn’t beat Bobrovsky.
“Not an ideal spot,” Tavares mentioned of his group’s predicament. “A chance to regroup here and look forward to getting on the road. Going to be a tough test, but one we’ve got to raise our level.”
Toronto dropped the sequence opener 4-2 at Scotiabank Arena, however acquired off to a quick begin Thursday when Kerfoot scored on the rebound of a Luke Schenn level shot for his second at 2:20 of the primary.
Unable to attach on two early energy performs in Game 1, the Maple Leafs made it 2-0 on a person benefit at 5:10 when Marner discovered O’Reilly, who scored his third on a one-timer.
The Panthers, who beat the record-setting Boston Bruins in seven video games to make the second spherical, began to push again because the interval wore on.
Florida responded at 11:13 when Lundell scored his first after linemate Eetu Luostarinen crushed Leafs defenseman Timothy Liljegren behind Samsonov’s internet and Tavares fell.
TORONTO’S KNIES HURT
The Maple Leafs misplaced ahead Matthew Knies to harm after he was roughed up behind the online by Florida’s Sam Bennett halfway by the primary interval and didn’t return to the sport after the break.
Bennett bodychecked Knies into the boards and used his proper arm to drive him downward as each gamers fell to the ice. Knies appeared dazed after the play and was gradual to get to his toes.
“I don’t have an update on his status,” Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe mentioned. “Obviously he didn’t complete the game so that’s not positive. In terms of the hit, I’m not going to comment on that.”
The group introduced early within the second interval that Knies wouldn’t return. Specifics on the harm weren’t revealed.
MATTHEWS ON THE MARK
Matthews assisted on O’Reilly’s first-period objective, giving him factors in eight straight video games and matching a franchise file beforehand shared by Gary Roberts (2002), Doug Gilmour (1993) and Gary Leeman (1986).
GET KRAKEN
Toronto defenseman Mark Giordano – the primary captain in Seattle Kraken historical past – has been holding tabs on his outdated group’s run within the playoffs.
The second-year franchise completed thirtieth in final yr’s standings, however secured the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot this spring earlier than upsetting the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche in seven video games within the first spherical.
“The foundation was laid in place last year,” mentioned Giordano, acquired by Toronto previous to the 2022 commerce deadline. “They also made some huge additions and really helped their team.”
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