Coming Out Strong: Panthers Roll Past Maple Leafs with 5-1 Win

SUNRISE — The Florida Panthers vowed to come out firing against the Toronto Maple Leafs following a three-week Olympic break in an attempt to get back in the playoff hunt.

They certainly did just that.

The Panthers played one of their best periods of the season to kick things off and held off the Leafs for a 5-1 win.

Florida now has 24 games remaining.

The Panthers scored three in the first with Evan Rodrigues getting a goal and an assist. He also personally outshot the Leafs 7-6 in the opening period.

Florida opened the scoring 3:18 in on a nice goal from Brad Marchand. Carter Verhaeghe made it 2-0 on the power play just 2 minutes later.

Rodrigues got his goal on a beautiful shorthanded move — forcing the turnover and turning Toronto goalie Joseph Woll into a pretzel.

With the win, Florida did pull into a tie with Toronto in the standings — but remain eight points back of the Bruins for the final wild card spot after Boston beat the Blue Jackets.

NOTES: LEAFS at PANTHERS

• With his 26th goal, Marchand tied Joe Nieuwendyk (2005-06) for the second-most in a season by a Panthers player at age 37 or older. With his second of the night, Marchand tied Jaromir Jagr who had 27 in 2015-16.
• Marchand has 36 goals and 96 points in 97 regular-season games against the Leafs — his most goals, assists, and points against any franchise.
• Rodrigues scored his first career shorthanded goal; the Panthers have scored six down a skater this season.

HOW THEY SCORED

• Panthers 1, Maple Leafs 0 (3:18 1st): The Panthers force a turnover high in the zone with Anton Lundell rifling a shot from the point. The shot hits a defender but finds Brad Marchand who corrals the puck and scores.
• Panthers 2, Leafs 0 (5:13 1st PP): Evan Rodrigues gets his first point of the night by sending a backhanded shot from the deep slot to Carter Verhaeghe who pulls in the pass in the right circle and snipes one past Joseph Woll.
• Panthers 3, Leafs 0 (16:40 1st SH): Rodrigues forces a turnover in the neutral zone with the puck scooting into the Toronto zone. Rodrigues catches up to it, walks in on Woll and dekes him good, scoring on the backhander with the Toronto goalie down on the ice.
• Panthers 3, Leafs 1 (0:47 3rd PP): John Tavares sent a shot toward the net that hit Gus Forsling on its way through, the puck going between Sergei Bobrovsky’s skates.
• Panthers 4, Leafs 1 (16:51 3rd EN): Moments after ringing a shot off the empty cage, Marchand all but ends it with his second of the night.
• Panthers 5, Leafs 1 (18:08 3rd EN): Matthew Tkachuk gets his from inside the blue.

FHN’S 3 STARS

• 1. Evan Rodrigues, Panthers
• 2. Sergei Bobrovsky, Panthers
• 3. Brad Marchand, Panthers

ON DECK: GAME No. 59

BUFFALO SABRES at FLORIDA PANTHERS

• When: Friday, 7 p.m.
• Where: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise
• Local TV: Scripps Sports — WSFL 39 (Miami/FTL); WPTV 5/WHDT 9 (WPB); LAFF 36.3 (SWFla)
• Streaming: Panthers+; ESPN+
• Radio: WQAM; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
• Last Season: Panthers Won 3-1
• This Season (Buffalo Leads 2-1) — At Buffalo: Sabres 3, Panthers 0 (Oct. 13); Panthers 4, Sabres 3 (Jan. 13). At Florida: Sabres 5, Panthers 3 (Feb. 2); Friday.
• All-time Regular Season Series: Florida leads 61-47-8, 4 ties
• Up Next for the Panthers: Sunday at New York Islanders, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN)