Maple Leafs Fend Off Panthers in Game 2, 4-3

The Florida Panthers laced them up again in Toronto for Game 2 versus the Maple Leafs. A few familiar faces returned for the Panthers as they dropped Game 2 versus the Leafs, including Mackie Samoskevich (a healthy scratch for the latter half of the first round) and Aaron Ekblad (suspended for two games for a high hit that took Brandon Hagel out of the remainder of the first round). Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz also remained sidelined after being hit high in Game 2 by Sam Bennett; Joseph Woll backstopped the Leafs in this one and was backed up by Matt Murray.

The first period saw the Toronto Maple Leafs head to the power play early – roughly 3 minutes into the game – but they failed to capitalize as Sergei Bobrovsky turned away several solid chances right out front of the crease despite Matthew Knies’ best and most comical efforts at setting up a screen. The Maple Leafs got another opportunity with the man advantage roughly halfway through the first frame but failed to convert on that one as well. Shot totals at the midway point of the first period favored neither team as both had registered four.

The Panthers received their first power-play opportunity shortly after, with roughly nine minutes remaining in the first period. The Panthers made short work of that opportunity, as Aleksander Barkov scored on the first shot of the power play, opening the scoring for the evening. Toronto received a third opportunity on the power play in the last few minutes of the first period. The Leafs capitalized on this one, tying the game up at 1-1 courtesy of a net front deflection by Max Pacioretty (his second goal and fifth point in six total playoff games this postseason). Shot totals at the end of the first period favored the Panthers 6-5.

The Panthers kicked off the second period with an insane play between Anton Lundell and Brad Marchand. Lundell dished a behind-the-back pass to Marchand, who was cutting to the net in close. Marchand deked around Woll and netted a beauty of a backhand – his first goal of the playoffs – to break the tie and pull the Panthers ahead 2-1. Not to be outdone, the Maple Leafs knotted the game back up at two goals apiece minutes later with a 2-on-1 play between Pacioretty and William Nylander. With roughly 12 minutes left in the second period, Scott Laughton boarded Evan Rodrigues from behind, leading to a short-lived tussle with Nate Schmidt. For whatever reason, the referees called Rodrigues for embellishment despite the forward going to the locker room as a result of the check, so the game continued on at 5-on-5.

Pontus Holmberg was called for tripping shortly afterward, giving the Panthers another opportunity on the man advantage. The Panthers failed to convert on the power play yet again. The shot totals around the midway point of the second period favored Florida, 14-9. With roughly three minutes left in the second period, the Maple Leafs broke the tie and gained the lead for the first time in the game, with yet another 2-on-1 play, this time with Max Domi capitalizing from the hashmarks. At the end of the second period, shot totals favored Florida, 17-14.

The third period picked up almost exactly where the second period left off. The Panthers struggled to establish offensive zone dominance, and almost immediately, the Maple Leafs had another odd-man rush heading in the other direction. Florida’s defensive breakdowns continued to contribute to nearly every Maple Leafs’ scoring opportunity in the early minutes of the final frame of the game. In an effort to jumpstart the offense, Paul Maurice bumped Mackie Samoskevich back up to the second line with Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk. Lundell knotted the game back up at three with a net front tap-in via a beautiful pass from the boards.

Seventeen seconds later, the Maple Leafs responded with a goal of their own, snatching the lead back just as quickly as they had lost it. Mitch Marner took advantage of yet another Panthers’ defensive breakdown and fired a deft wrist shot through a screen and home past Bobrovsky from five feet behind the faceoff circle. Midway through the final frame, the shots still favored the Panthers, 23-18. Not to be outdone by the offensive fireworks, Woll made a massive net front stop on Samoskevich with nine or so minutes remaining in the game to keep the Maple Leafs’ lead intact. Maurice pulled Bobrovsky with two minutes left in the game for the extra attacker, but it would prove to be fruitless as the Maple Leafs advanced to a 2-0 series lead headed back to Florida.