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Kilger, Pohl lead Maple Leafs past Panthers

Jan 19, 2007 - 5:43 AM SUNRISE, Florida (Ticker) -- Chad Kilger and John Pohl helped the Toronto Maple Leafs prove they could win without reaching the four-goal mark.

Kilger had a goal and an assist and Pohl added the tally that proved to be the game-winner as the Maple Leafs posted a 3-2 victory over the Florida Panthers.

Andrew Raycroft made 39 saves for Toronto, which won for just the second time this season when scoring three goals or less.

On October 9, the Maple Leafs edged the Panthers in a shootout, 2-1, for the only other victory in which they tallied fewer than four times.

Boyd Devereaux opened the scoring with his second goal of the season, beating goaltender Alex Auld to the glove side with a slap shot off a feed from behind the net by Kilger with 7:46 left in the first period.

Kilger doubled the lead at 5:59 of the middle session, taking a pass from Matt Stajan and firing a wrister between the pads of Auld.

"We've had a lot of chances and we haven't always come through, but lately we're getting some pucks to go in," Kilger said. "It's always nice to contribute."

Pohl made it 3-0 midway through the period. After unleashing a shot from the left side that glanced off the stick of Stephen Weiss and Auld's jersey before trickling toward the goal line, Pohl raced around the net and swatted in the puck from the right side with 9:19 remaining.

After Gregory Campbell and Ville Peltonen drew Florida within one in the third, the Panthers nearly pulled even with 29 seconds to go. However, Martin Gelinas' apparent goal was waved off after replay officials confirmed the veteran directed the puck into the net with his glove.

"They had a few bounces go their way," Raycroft said. "When the first one goes in, you're not too worried, but after the second one, I think we were hanging on at the end."

"The Panthers really threw it at us when they fell behind 3-0," Maple Leafs coach Paul Maurice added. "Maybe we didn't think we had to play any defense after that."

Raycroft stopped 14 shots in the second period and 16 in the third for Toronto, which has won three of four.

"I was moving well laterally and seeing the puck," Raycroft said. "That's a lot of shots, but the guys out in front were doing a good job of moving their guys away from the net, and I had a good look at most of the shots."

"We played a great game in the third, but we came up short," Gelinas said. "This time of year, we are chasing a lot of teams for the playoffs, and they're one of them. That's what makes this loss even more unfortunate."

Auld made 11 saves over two periods before former Maple Leaf Ed Belfour turned aside all five shots he faced in the third for the Panthers, who have lost six of eight.

"We had our chances before the third to make it a different game. We came at them all out in the third, but it wasn't enough," Peltonen said. "Close, but not enough."