The Florida Panthers had no trouble spoiling another Toronto night at Scotiabank Arena, rolling to a 6-2 win Saturday.
Regardless of what was on the line, losing late-season games to the Panthers has practically become a tradition for the Maple Leafs. Florida continued the custom with a convincing performance, even with Sam Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe scratched from an already depleted lineup.
Joseph Woll, one of Toronto’s few bright spots in an otherwise dark season, did not have his best outing. Florida scored on two of their first three shots, starting just 23 seconds in when Eetu Luostarinen pounced on a rebound, spun and fired it past Woll to make it 1-0. Five minutes later, Cole Reinhardt drove hard to the net and jammed a backhand through Woll to double the lead.
Toronto had little to offer in response, managing just six shots in the first period and with none of them getting past Florida goaltender Daniil Tarasov.
The Panthers made it 3-0 early in the second when Tomas Nosek walked into the slot and beat Woll from between the circles at 1:32.
William Nylander gave the Leafs some life in the second period with a pair of goals. His 27th of the season came on the power play, as he tracked down a puck near the crease and lifted it over Tarasov to make it 3-1. A little more than two minutes later, Nylander picked off a puck deep in the Florida zone and beat Tarasov again to cut the deficit to one.
But that was as close as Toronto would get. Mackie Samoskevich restored the two-goal lead with a one-timer past Woll at 4:23 of the third, and AJ Greer and Nosek added empty-net goals to finish it off.
Toronto closes out its home schedule Monday night against the Dallas Stars.
The Florida Panthers had no trouble spoiling another Toronto night at Scotiabank Arena, rolling to a 6-2 win Saturday.
Regardless of what was on the line, losing late-season games to the Panthers has practically become a tradition for the Maple Leafs. Florida continued the custom with a convincing performance, even with Sam Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe scratched from already depleted lineup.
Joseph Woll, one of Toronto’s few bright spots in an otherwise dark season, did not have his best outing. Florida scored on two of their first three shots, starting just 23 seconds in when Eetu Luostarinen pounced on a rebound, spun and fired it past Woll to make it 1-0. Five minutes later, Cole Reinhardt drove hard to the net and jammed a backhand through Woll to double the lead.
Toronto had little to offer in response, managing just six shots in the first period and with none of them getting past Florida goaltender Daniil Tarasov.
The Panthers made it 3-0 early in the second when Tomas Nosek walked into the slot and beat Woll from between the circles at 1:32.
William Nylander gave the Leafs some life in the second period with a pair of goals. His 27th of the season came on the power play, as he tracked down a puck near the crease and lifted it over Tarasov to make it 3-1. A little more than two minutes later, Nylander picked off a puck deep in the Florida zone and beat Tarasov again to cut the deficit to one.
But that was as close as Toronto would get. Mackie Samoskevich restored the two-goal lead with a one-timer past Woll at 4:23 of the third, and AJ Greer and Nosek added empty-net goals to finish it off.
Toronto closes out its home schedule Monday night against the Dallas Stars.
