TORONTO – In a hard-fought contest, Sam Bennett netted power-play goals toward the end of both the first and second periods, leading the Florida Panthers to a 3-2 triumph over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Sergei Bobrovsky stood strong in goal, making 23 saves to help the Panthers, who are missing key players, secure their seventh victory in eight games.
The Panthers, reigning champions in the Atlantic Division, solidified their position at the top of the standings, now sitting four points clear of the Maple Leafs, who are in second place but have now dropped four of their last five games. In a remarkable performance, defenseman Niko Mikkola also found the back of the net for Florida.
Florida was missing several pivotal players, including Matthew Tkachuk due to a lower-body injury, recent addition Brad Marchand with an upper-body injury, and defenseman Aaron Ekblad who is serving a suspension. Despite these absences, the Panthers managed to execute a disciplined game plan to secure the win.
For the Maple Leafs, John Tavares scored his 27th goal of the season while Max Domi added another to keep Toronto competitive. In the net, Anthony Stolarz recorded 22 saves against his former teammates but could not outmatch Bobrovsky’s efforts on the opposite end.
Looking back at the week, Florida Panthers players, including Captain Aleksander Barkov, presented a commemorative Stanley Cup replica ring to the Hockey Hall of Fame, an event demonstrating the team’s ongoing prestige and commitment to excellence.
In contrast, the Maple Leafs’ goaltender Stolarz faced disappointment as he lost his second encounter of the season against his previous team.
A pivotal moment in the match came when the Panthers successfully killed two penalties within the first ten minutes of the second period—an achievement that paved the way for them to score twice within a span of just over three minutes.
The contest marked a continuation of a close rivalry, as Florida and Toronto have been neck-and-neck in the standings, separated by two points or fewer for over 100 days.
Both teams return to the ice on Saturday, with the Panthers visiting Montreal and the Maple Leafs set to host the Ottawa Senators, as they look to rebound from the recent loss.
