Marner Scores In Shootout To Lift Leafs Over Panthers
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SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Mitchell Marner scored in the third round of the shootout to lift the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Florida Panthers 3-2 on Wednesday night.
Rookie Auston Matthews got his team-leading 17th goal and an assist and William Nylander also scored for the Maple Leafs. Frederik Andersen made 45 saves and blanked Florida in the shootout.
Vincent Trocheck and Jonathan Marchessault each had a goal and an assist for the Panthers. Roberto Luongo stopped 38 shots.
The Maple Leafs won their fourth straight on the road and improved to 3-0 against the Panthers this season.
Florida scored twice in the first 2:43 of the third period to tie it. Marchessault scored 29 seconds in off the rebound of Keith Yandle's shot, and then Trochek then flipped in another rebound off a shot by Jakub Kindle to get his 100th career point.
The Panthers were awarded a penalty shot when Denis Malgin was interfered with by Jake Gardiner on a breakaway with 6:54 left in the third. Andersen turned aside Malgin's attempt with a pad save.
Toronto had a potential power-play goal waved off when it was ruled that Nazem Kadri's right leg made contact with Luongo in the crease before James van Riemsdyk shot the puck in with 3:05 left in the second.
The Leafs made up for it about a minute later during another power play. Nylander took a feed from Matthews and blasted a shot from the left circle that beat Luongo on the stick side with 2:06 left to make it 2-0.
Florida's points leader Aleksander Barkov left the game in the second period and did not return.
Matthews gave the Maple Leafs a 1-0 lead at 10:38 of the first. A shot from the slot bounced off Matthews' body in front of the crease, and when it dropped to his skates, Matthews backhanded it in. Matthews has 11 goals in his past 15 games and leads the Leafs in scoring with 28 points.
Notes: Maple Leafs C Tyler Bozak returned after missing three games with a lower-body injury. ... Goaltender Antoine Bibeau was called up for the game from the AHL Toronto Marlies. ... Panthers RW Reilly Smith missed the game with a concussion he got in Friday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Detroit Red Wings.
UP NEXT:
Maple Leafs: Visit Tampa Bay on Thursday night.
Panthers: Host Canadiens on Thursday night.
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