Matthews scores Nos. 61, 62, Maple Leafs top Panthers for 3rd win in row

Auston Matthews had two goals and an assist for the Toronto Maple Leafs in a 6-4 win against the Florida Panthers at Scotiabank Arena on Monday.

Matthews leads the NHL with 62 goals this season, an NHL career high.

“I thought we just came out with a lot of purpose there especially in the first (period), and pretty sound game overall,” Matthews said. “Obviously in the third there I thought we were a little bit more on our heels than we’d like to be, but that’s a really good team over there so you give them an inch, they’re going to take a yard. Obviously nice to finish off with the win and two points, but obviously you’d like to clean up some stuff there in the third and be more on the offensive I’d say.”

Nicholas Robertson and Matthew Knies each had a goal and an assist for the Maple Leafs (43-22-9), who have won three in a row and five of their past seven. Ilya Samsonov made 26 saves.

Toronto pulled within four points of Florida for second place in the Atlantic Division.

“I think (the game) was a lot more physical and fast-paced. It looked like a playoff game, for sure,” Knies said.

Vladimir Tarasenko had a goal and two assists for the Panthers (47-23-5), who are 2-6-1 in their past nine games. Sergei Bobrovsky allowed five goals on 16 shots before being pulled after two periods. Anthony Stolarz made six saves in relief.
Florida remained two points behind the Boston Bruins for first place in the Atlantic.

The Panthers, who trailed 5-1 entering the third period, scored three consecutive goals to cut it to 5-4 with 1:50 remaining.

“(We found) more urgency (in the third period),” Florida defenseman Brandon Montour said. “We found some ways to obviously bring some energy and obviously it’s tough when you go down like that. Guys fought to the end, but it is what it is.

“All their goals were in the crease or close to our net, easy mistakes, uncharacteristic of our team, but it is what it is. Tough tonight.”

Robertson gave the Maple Leafs a 1-0 lead at 13:59 when he took a pass from Knies in the neutral zone and scored on a breakaway with a deke to his forehand, putting it past Bobrovsky’s outstretched right pad.

“I was going deke (all the way), he plays really low,” Robertson said. “He’s a very good goalie, really quick so fortunately it went in.

“(The intensity) was high. We definitely wanted to send a message and start on the right foot against Florida. We’ve got them one more time but if it’s Florida (as Toronto’s First Round opponent in the Stanley Cup Playoffs), it’s Florida. If not, we just want to start playing really good hockey towards the playoffs.”

Matthews scored 33 seconds later to extend it to 2-0 at 14:32 when he tapped in a cross-crease pass from TJ Brodie for his 61st goal to set a career high. Matthews’ previous mark was 60 in the 2021-22 season.

Montour scored 47 seconds into the second period to cut it to 2-1 when he shot from the blue line, but Tyler Bertuzzi responded 39 seconds later at 1:26 to make it 3-1. He redirected a pass from Matthews, who was in the right wing corner, between Bobrovsky’s pads at the top of the goal crease.

Samsonov kept it 3-1 at 5:05 when he stopped Tarasenko and then made a right pad save on Anton Lundell, who shot from the slot off Tarasenko’s rebound.

David Kampf pushed it to 4-1 at 8:32 when he backhanded in his own rebound past a sprawling Bobrovsky.

Knies made it 5-1 at 14:05 when he one-timed a pass at the top of the goal crease from Pontus Holmberg, who found him after bringing the puck around the net.

“We were getting a lot of pucks to the net, creating loose pucks and chaos in front of the net and found a way to bury all those chances,” Knies said.

Tarasenko cut it to 5-2 at 2:12 of the third period when he deflected Niko Mikkola’s point shot in the slot.

Sam Reinhart made it 5-3 at 11:58, one-timing a pass in the slot from Tarasenko, who was behind the net.

Sam Bennett cut it to 5-4 at 18:10 when he shot past Samsonov’s glove from the top of the left face-off circle with Stolarz pulled for the extra attacker.

“We just don’t bring our best in the beginning, and we have to work on that, start the game right away,” Tarasenko said. “Work altogether whoever we are playing. Obviously it was a good push in the third but obviously it was not enough.”

Matthews shot into an empty net with 46 seconds left for the 6-4 final.

“I think it’s interesting for fans, got some nerves for everybody all the time but it’s most important we mix in two points right now and we win this game,” Samsonov said. “Doesn’t matter what’s going on. That’s tough game against a good team.”