The Florida Panthers secured a 5-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs with power-play goals from Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe, as well as a short-handed score from Sam Reinhart. This win marked only the Panthers’ second victory in eight games. Mackie Samoskevich and Sam Bennett also found the net for Florida, with Sergei Bobrovsky making 24 saves. Mitch Marner scored the lone goal for the Maple Leafs, who suffered their second loss in nine games. The win brought the Panthers within one point of the Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division.
In a special moment, former Panthers players Anthony Stolarz, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Steven Lorentz received their Stanley Cup championship rings before the game. Lorentz expressed his joy at finally receiving the ring, calling it “worth the wait.” Florida was missing Anton Lundell, who had suffered a facial injury during a previous game.
Samoskevich’s goal, which came shortly after Barkov’s opening goal, set the tone for the Panthers’ victory. With the win, Florida improved to a 4-0-0 record when Samoskevich scores. Additionally, Reinhart’s short-handed goal marked his fourth of the season, showcasing the team’s proficiency in penalty killing.
Looking ahead, the Maple Leafs will face the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday, while the Panthers will take on the Carolina Hurricanes in a home-and-home series on Friday and Saturday.
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