Panthers (3) vs Leafs (1) Three Stars

The Leafs were looking to bounce back after putting forth an absolute dud of a performance against the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday night. No better team to bounce back against than the team who embarrassed you in the second round of the playoffs last year, right? Well, that wasn’t the case. The Leafs were flat most of the night, and they were unable to generate much of anything offensively. and they also played with very little intensity. They ended up dropping this one by a score of 3-1. Let’s get into last night’s three stars. 

First Star – Sergei Bobrovsky 

Goalie Bob was on the case once again last night. He picked up right where he left off in the playoffs against the Leafs. While he wasn’t called on to make many spectacular saves in this one, he did stop 29 of the 30 shots he faced, giving him a 0.967 save percentage. I’m not sure what it is, but Bobrovsky seems to always bring his Vezina level of play whenever he faces off against the Leafs. Through his first three games of the season, he was subpar at best, he had a 1-2-0 record and a 0.905, 0.853, and 0.912 save percentage in each game, respectively. 

Second Star – Sam Reinhart 

Reinhart had a solid game and was noticeable all night long. He had an assist, and he also sealed the deal with the empty netter to make it a 3-1 final. He played a total of 22:37, where he fired four shots on goal, had three blocks, and he was also a plus two on the night. Reinhart is off to a great start so far for the Panthers. Through four games, the 27-year-old West Vancouver native is leading the way with four goals and two assists. Can he remain at this kind of pace all year? Only time will tell. 

Third Star – Ilya Samsonov 

While Samsonov definitely had a rocky first period, he absolutely shut the door afterward and gave the Leafs a fighting chance. He only faced 23 shots in this one, but he made a lot of key saves, especially when the Leafs were trying to get on the board and back into the game. Personally, I think he was the sole reason why this game wasn’t a blowout. His defensive core did not do him many favors at all in this one. Samsonov is definitely off to a rocky start this year, but last night was encouraging for him personally, and Leafs Nation can only hope he is able to build off of this moving forward. 

The Leafs continue their road trip in Tampa Bay on Saturday night when they face the team they have squared off against in the first round in each of the past two years. Given the fact that Tampa Bay has really struggled out of the gate as a result of the Vasilevsky injury, the Leafs need to pounce at the opportunity to get back into the win column against a depleted Lightning team.