Atlantic Beach: Florida Panthers Add to Lead, Beat Maple Leafs

Since the first week in November, only two teams have lead the NHL’s Atlantic Division: The Florida Panthers or Toronto Maple Leafs.

Thursday night, the Panthers made sure their run atop the Atlantic would continue.

Thanks to a pair of power-play goals from Sam Bennett and some stellar work in net from Sergei Bobrovsky, the Panthers beat the host Maple Leafs 3-2.

Florida, which has won seven of eight, has a four-point lead in the Atlantic on Toronto.

The Leafs got things going quickly, John Tavares scoring 2 minutes in for the 1-0 lead.

Florida scored the next three goals — Bennett got his first late in the first to tie it, then his second late in the second for a 3-1 lead — before Max Domi scored on a breakaway.

Bobrovsky held things down with Toronto pushing throughout, ending the night with 23 saves.

Mackie Samoskevich assisted on both of Bennett’s goals; Niko Mikkola made it 2-1 in the second.

The Panthers are 2-0 against the Leafs this season, with two more games between them down the stretch this season.

The team that wins the Atlantic likely gets the No. 2 overall seed in the Eastern Conference behind the Washington Capitals and would have home ice at least through the first two rounds of the playoffs — and face the top wild-card winner in the opening round.

NOTES: PANTHERS AT MAPLE LEAFS

• Bobrovsky got his his 424th career win to pass Tony Esposito (423) for 10th place on the NHL’s all-time wins list among goaltenders.
• Bobrovsky now ranks in the top two in wins for both the Panthers and Blue Jackets. He is one of five goaltenders in NHL history to find themselves in that scenario including Roberto Luongo (Panthers/Canucks).
• Since Nov. 5, Toronto was atop the Atlantic Division for 63 days; Florida for 55 (and counting).
• With a pair of power play goals, Bennett was going for just the second power-play hat trick in franchise history. On Feb. 5, 2008 — in Toronto — Richard Zednik scored three with the man advantage.

HOW THEY SCORED

• Maple Leafs 1, Panthers 0 (2:00 1st): John Tavares one-times a shot from the right circle.
• Panthers 1, Maple Leafs 1 (17:53 1st PP): Sam Bennett gets his first of the night, banging in a shot off the pad of Anthony Stolarz from a Mackie Samoskevich shot.
• Panthers 2, Maple Leafs 1 (13:56 2nd): Niko Mikkola uncorks a wrist shot from the slot to give Florida its first lead.
• Panthers 3, Maple Leafs 1 (17:13 2nd PP): Bennett does it again, this time taking a pass from Sam Reinhart from down low.
• Panthers 3, Maple Leafs 2 (4:26 3rd): Max Domi gets loose off the rush and whips one from the left circle.

FHN’S 3 STARS OF THE GAME

• 1. Sam Bennett, Florida
• 2. Sergei Bobrovsky, Florida
• 3. Mackie Samoskevich, Florida

ON DECK: GAME No. 67

FLORIDA PANTHERS at MONTREAL CANADIENS 

• When: Saturday, 7 p.m.
• Where: Bell Centre, Montreal
• Local TV: Scripps Sports — WSFL 39 (Miami/FtL); WHDT 9 (WPB); LAFF 36.3 (SWFla)
• Streaming: Panthers+, ESPN+
• Radio: WPOW 96.5-FM2; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
• Last Season: Florida won 3-1
• This Season (Canadiens Lead 1-0) — At Montreal: Saturday; Ap. 1. At Florida: Canadiens 4, Panthers 0 (Dec. 28); March 30.
• All-time Regular Season Series: Florida leads 58-40-11, 6 ties
• Up Next for the Panthers: Sunday at New York Islanders, 7:30 p.m.