In a game with major playoff implications, the Toronto Maple Leafs couldn’t overcome the Florida Panthers’ special teams dominance, falling 3-2 at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday night.
The Leafs came out strong, with John Tavares wasting no time, scoring just two minutes into the first period off a slick setup from William Nylander. The energy in the building was electric, but Florida responded with resilience.
Sam Bennett led the charge for the Panthers, netting two power-play goals, one late in the first period and another in the second, proving once again how dangerous Florida’s special teams can be. Defenseman Niko Mikkola added to the Panthers’ lead, capitalizing on an aggressive forecheck that left the Leafs scrambling in their own zone.
Toronto pushed back in the third, with Max Domi bringing the Leafs within one, but despite a furious late-game effort, they couldn’t solve Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky, who stopped 23 shots and earned his 424th career win, moving him into 10th place on the NHL’s all-time wins list
Can the Leafs regain momentum? Stay tuned for all the latest updates and post-game analysis right here.
