Final
Playoff-hopeful Maple Leafs visit Panthers
Mar 17, 2011 - 3:13 PM (Sports Network) - The Toronto Maple Leafs will continue their push for the postseason in Florida when they visit the Panthers for tonight's battle at BankAtlantic Center.The Maple Leafs enter today as the 10th seed in the East and are just four points behind Buffalo for the conference's eighth and final postseason berth. Toronto is trying to end the longest playoff drought in club history, as the Leafs haven't qualified for the postseason since 2004.
Toronto earned its latest victory Wednesday night in Raleigh, as rookie James Reimer stopped 36 shots to help the Maple Leafs take the 3-1 decision over the Hurricanes. Carolina is one place and two points ahead of Toronto in the East standings.
Dion Phaneuf had two goals and an assist while Tyler Bozak scored the other goal for the Maple Leafs, who had dropped four of five coming into Wednesday's contest.
"All year long I've been saying 'sometimes they go and sometimes they don't,'" said Phaneuf. "It was nice to get a couple in tonight and help the team take a big two points."
Toronto defenseman Mike Komisarek suffered a lower-body injury in Wednesday's game and is questionable for tonight's contest.
The Maple Leafs are 15-16-3 as the guest this year and are wrapping up a brief two-game swing tonight.
The Panthers, who are seven points behind Toronto in the East standings, have lost two of three and seven of their last nine games. Florida was dealt a loss in its most recent trip to the ice, losing a 3-2 decision Tuesday night against the visiting Philadelphia Flyers.
Florida led Philadelphia by a 2-1 score after one period, but Jeff Carter scored twice in the second to lift the Flyers to the win in Sunrise.
Stephen Weiss and Dmitry Kulikov scored for the Panthers. Tomas Vokoun played well in the loss, stopping 28 shots.
"It's the little mistakes that come back to haunt us," Panthers center Marty Reasoner said of the loss.
The Panthers are 2-2-0 so far on a six-game homestand that is set to end Saturday against the New York Islanders. Florida is 14-15-7 at the BankAtlantic Center on the season.
Toronto has won two of its three meetings with the Panthers this season, but Florida has taken seven of the last 11 encounters overall. The Maple Leafs have also lost two in a row and four of their last five games in Sunrise.
- TORONTO: 0
FLORIDA: 4
Final
Mar 17 9:50 PM - Florida Empty Net Goal - Keaton Ellerby (2), at 16:36.
Maple Leafs 0, Panthers 4 3rd - 3:24Mar 17 9:47 PM - TORONTO: 0
FLORIDA: 3
End of 2nd
Mar 17 9:03 PM - Florida Power-Play Goal - Mike Santorelli (18), from Sergei Samsonov and Stephen Weiss at 11:31.
Maple Leafs 0, Panthers 3 2nd - 8:29Mar 17 8:47 PM - Florida Goal - Stephen Weiss, from Dmitry Kulikov and Michal Repik at 5:11.
Maple Leafs 0, Panthers 2 2nd - 14:49Mar 17 8:36 PM - Florida Goal - Jason Garrison (5), from Niclas Bergfors and Sergei Samsonov at :49.
Maple Leafs 0, Panthers 1 2nd - 19:11Mar 17 8:30 PM - TORONTO: 0
FLORIDA: 0
End of 1st
Mar 17 8:11 PM - TORONTO: 0
FLORIDA: 0
1st Period - 20:00
Mar 17 7:38 PM
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