SUNRISE, FL – The Toronto Maple Leafs demanded an answer.
Internally, they discussed the embarrassing strike on Thursday from Tampa Bay Lightning and were determined not to go 0-for-Florida this week.
Welcoming Aston Matthews back to the squad will lead to what Jonathan Hubbord expected to be an “angry” band.
The effort was definitely there.
But the result was the same.
The Maple Leafs lost 3-2 in overtime over the Florida Panthers on Saturday here, with the Cats extending their winning streak to a record 13 games.
Like the last time Toronto visited this barn, the Leafs built a lead of a few goals early, and then watched the Panthers – the returning kings of hockey – come back with their fingernails to erase that lead.
“This is as competitive a group as I’ve ever been,” Panthers coach Andrew Brunet said of the pre-match series. goals are amazing. ”
Mitch Marner scored on the first shot of the night, making a one-time smart pass from TJ Brodie.
Justin Hall then scored a goal against Florida defender Radko Goodas and overtook Sergei Bobrovsky, giving Toronto a 2-0 lead after the first period.
The second period was entirely Panthers. Alexander Barkov cleared the rebound in a dance drive of the former Leaf Mason Marchment. And Claude Giroux hit early in a slippery run of Florida power passes with a five-pointer.
The countries exchanged a series of chances in an emergency in the third, before Brandon Montour buried the winner in the extra frame.
“They just go through everyone all year,” Matthews said before the game. “I’m not sure there’s really a big weakness in their game.
“I know we feel confident in our group. But obviously this is a team that has been the NHL standard so far this year, at least in our conference for sure. “
The speed of the fox 5
• Michael Bunting’s face was hit by a puck and he suffered an awkward fall in the first period. He left the game and did not return. The nature of his injury is not disclosed.
• Marner have scored 29 goals and 75 points in their last 46 games. This is a pace of 52 goals and 134 points in 82 games.
“He’s a funny player,” said Panthers coach Andrew Brunet.
“He’s so smart and really mean. His IQ is out of the charts and what he can do, how he sees the ice, how he defends himself… it’s a bit like (Pavel) Datsyuk with his ability to take off puck and be “
• Jonathan Huberdo (114 points) is “the year of the monster”, said Keefe. Anyway? Not as monstrous as that of Connor McDavid (116 points), with whom he is fighting for the Art Ross trophy.
Both stars have four more games to increase their total. Can Huberdo overthrow the king?
“It would be great,” Huberto said. “Obviously it’s not easy with McDavid. I mean, he loses three points every night.”
The Panthers playmaker tries not to stop the race or check the result of the Oilers.
“This is always my brother,” Huberdo said. He says, “Ah, McDavid again!” I say to myself, “You can stop writing to me. It is good. “
• Three on one:
• After betting on No. 1 in the Eastern Conference, the champions of the “Atlantic” division (the phrase Florida, not mine) began to apply some load management. Patrick Hornkvist, 35, sat down on Tuesday to rest.
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