Post-Game Analysis: Maple Leafs Fall on the Road 3-1 to Panthers

Photo: J Ocner

The Florida Panthers defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 tonight at Amerant Bank Arena. After jumping out to a 2-0 lead to end the first, that’s all the Cats needed from an offensive standpoint to defeat the traveling blue and white. The Maple Leafs battled hard but once again were shut down by Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.

In the opening period, the Maple Leafs actually started out strong. A few early chances generated by the Maple Leafs offense were quickly turned aside by Sergei Bobrovsky, leading to a bit of a momentum shift in the Panthers favor. Once the Cats started to generate some opportunities of their own, a shot from the half wall late in the period by Panthers forward Kevin Stenlund beat Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov.

It was a blind pass up the wall by Maple Leafs defenseman John Klingberg that caused the turnover for Kevin Stenlund’s goal. It’s important to note that Maple Leafs forward David Kampf was also caught out of position on the play, as John Klingberg’s pass was supposed to hit David Kampf’s blade for a breakout. 

As the period slowly started coming to an end, another point shot from Florida Panthers defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson found its way into the back of the Maple Leafs net. The Maple Leafs were caught flat-footed in the defensive zone, which led to the Panthers capitalizing on the attack for a second goal. The Panthers went into the first intermission up 2-0. 

Once the second period was underway, the Maple Leafs came out strong once again, but the Panthers kept them off the board. Despite the strong start for Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, the Maple Leafs kept pressing, eventually leading to a power-play opportunity. 

After moving the puck around on the man advantage, William Nylander found John Tavares alone in the slot for the shot. Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky was once again on point, stopping the Maple Leafs captain’s attempt. However, the rebound from John’s shot found the blade of Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner, who put the puck into the Panthers goal.

Once the Maple Leafs finally cracked Sergei Bobrovsky, the blue and white nearly came close once again as Matthew Knies almost got his first of the year. Maple Leafs forward Noah Gregor used his speed to draw an opportunity for Matthew Knies in the slot, but the net was knocked off just as time expired in the second period.

Once the final frame was underway, the Maple Leafs kept coming in waves, testing Sergei Bobrovsky. Similar to last year’s postseason for Toronto, the blue and white couldn’t find another goal to tie the game before time eventually expired. The Maple Leafs almost scored after their late push in the third as John Tavares’ rebound looked like it just clipped the post, but nothing ended up going into the goal.

Just as time was about to expire, Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart sent the puck into the empty net. With 0.2 seconds remaining, the Florida Panthers closed the game with a 3-1 victory, ensuring their second win of the year.

The Toronto Maple Leafs will be back in action on Saturday as they take on the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Bolts will be without star goaltender Andrei Vasilevsky but don’t underestimate this Lightning squad, who’s still loaded with talent. It’ll surely be an entertaining matchup between the two sides, so don’t miss it! 

Thanks for reading! For more Leafs content, follow me on Twitter at ITR_Anselmo.

Saint Joseph Woll Leafs Late Night

WELCOME BACK TO LEAFS LATE NIGHT! Presented by Inside The RinkRoscoe / Fanalyst – 3 Game Skid- Highlight Finish- Traaaade Season- State of the Game w DartyNEW MERCH IS AVAILABLE!JOIN OUR DISCORD!Remember to follow us on Twitter @LeafsLateNight & IG @LeafsLateNightCheck out Mike, Josh, and Nathan's articles on the Leafs + many more! insidetherink.comHow to support us and our sponsors:TicketmasterColumbia Sports ApparelESPN+ SubscriptionFanaticsDraft Kings – CODE ITR
  1. Saint Joseph Woll
  2. Vanquishing Rivals of Yesteryear
  3. Lawesome-Tawesome
  4. Back To Business w/ Steph The Fanalyst
  5. Preseason Debut – All New Blue

Discover more from Inside The Rink

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Joshua Anselmo

A hockey mind that's always looking at new and insightful ways to bring different perspectives of the game we all love.

Leave a Reply

2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Winnipeg Jets vs St. Louis Blues Series Preview

One more sleep and the Winnipeg Jets and St. Louis Blues battle it out for the first time since 2019 in the postseason. Both teams have a close head-to-head rivalry since the 1999-2000 season, but have only met once in the playoffs. A throwback to the clash in 2019 has shades of the past after […]

Read More

The Connor McDavid Lottery, 10 Years Later

When you have a job writing about the Edmonton Oilers, it’s hard not to type out his name at least once in every article. April 18th, 2015, the 9th year in our team’s Decade of Darkness had just come to a close, finishing 3rd last league-wide. Connor McDavid was the projected top prospect in that year’s […]

Read More
Dougie Hamilton skates in the Devils' final regular-season contest after missing 18 games with injury.

Devils Drop Final Regular Season Game to Detroit Red Wings

The New Jersey Devils lost 5-2 to the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday night at the Prudential Center. It was game 82 for New Jersey, the final regular-season matchup before the team travels to Carolina to begin its playoff campaign. The Red Wings were previously eliminated from playoff contention and have one more contest on […]

Read More