Matthews scores twice as Maple Leafs cruise past Panthers
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SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Auston Matthews had two goals and Matt Murray made 33 saves as the Toronto Maple Leafs picked up a 6-2 road win over the Florida Panthers on Thursday night.
Mitchell Marner and William Nylander each had a goal and an assist, and John Tavares finished with three assists.
The Maple Leafs won for the third time in four games, bouncing back nicely after a 7-2 loss to the New York Islanders on Tuesday night.
Matthew Tkachuk and Nick Cousins scored for the Panthers. Bobrovsky made 21 saves in the team's second straight loss.
Toronto jumped in front when Matthews scored his 33rd goal 5:05 into the first period. Tkachuk tied it at 1 at 14:25 when a replay review determined Murray pulled Tkachuk’s odd-angled shot on a power play from over the goal line.
The Maple Leafs went ahead to stay with three goals in the second. Nylander made it 2-1 at 1:20, and Matthews scored again at 2:57.
After Cousins got one back for the Panthers at 11:43, Bunting scored with two Florida players in the penalty box at 18:21. Bunting's 21st goal gave Toronto a 4-2 lead.
The Maple Leafs put the game away with 5:37 remaining when Kerfoot scored off a pass from Tavares. Marner scored into an empty net just over a minute later.
“We knew they had a lot of offensive power and did not need a lot of space to get chances,’’ Florida captain Aleksander Barkov said of Toronto. “We did not play that well in the defensive zone, gave them too many chances and their power play is one of the best in the league."
WORTH NOTING
Florida was without C Sam Bennett for the second consecutive game with an undisclosed injury. Bennett left Florida’s game at Detroit on Monday in the third period and did not return. Bennett practiced on Thursday morning. ... F Anthony Duclair returned for the Panthers after missing Tuesday’s game with an illness.
UP NEXT
Maple Leafs: At Carolina on Saturday.
Panthers: Host the New York Rangers on Saturday.