Panthers defeat Leafs in OT, take 3-0 series lead

The Comeback Cats do it again, winning Game 3, 3-2 in overtime to take a 3-0 series lead

The Florida Panthers were back at home Sunday night for Game 3 of their second-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

Holding a 2-0 series lead after taking both road games in Toronto, the Panthers played another tightly contested game tonight against the Maple Leafs. 

Toronto jumped out to an early lead tonight for a second straight game. Sam Lafferty got the Leafs on the board 2:26 into the first period off a 2-on-1 pass from David Kampf. 

After giving up the first goal, the Panthers were able to stick to their game, limiting the Leafs to limited scoring chances for the remainder of the frame. 

The Leafs held off the Panthers attack to take a 1-0 lead into the intermission. 

In Game 2 Florida jumped out of the gates in then second period, scoring multiple goals in the first few minutes to take a lead. Tonight it was a similar story. 

Florida didn’t completely flip the script tonight like they did on Thursday, however they were able to even up the game early in the second. 

As the Panthers power play was dwindling down, Aaron Ekblad threaded a stretch pass from his own blue line to a streaking Anthony Duclair. At the 2:36 mark, Duclair beat Joseph Woll on a breakaway deke to tie the game at 1-1. Woll had just entered the game in relief for an injured Ilya Samsonov a few minutes before. 

Five minutes after Duclair tied the game, the Leafs took their lead back. 

A bad defensive breakdown by the Panthers allowed Erik Gustafsson all the time in the world to walk in on Sergei Bobrovksy. 

Gustafsson attempted to play a pass to David Kampf across the crease, however Panthers defenseman Marc Staal deflected the puck into his own goal. The Leafs regained the lead. 

The feisty Panthers didn’t go away after conceding, as they’ve shown multiple times this playoffs. 

12:28 in the second, Radko Gudas attempted to get a puck from the point on goal, instead it banked off of Carter Verhaeghe’s butt into the net, evening the game up at 2-2. 

The remainder of the second and the entirety of the third period didn’t have too much more drama. 

Both teams had a few chances to take the leading, including a between-the-legs breakaway attempt from Sam Bennett in the dying minutes of the game. 

Both goalies dealt with their business for the remainder of regulation. Overtime would be the answer in Sunrise. 

Both teams had undefeated OT records in round one. Toronto was 3-0, with all their OT victories coming on the road. Florida was 2-0 in Boston. 

In the overtime frame, the hometown cats leapt to victory. 

The Lundell, Reinhart, Luostarinen line has been great in these playoffs and they were the answer tonight. 

Sam Reinhart started the zone entry by himself. After maneuvering through a few Leafs players, he wrapped the puck around the boards to Anton Lundell. 

Lundell quickly fed him back behind the net. Reinhart wasted no time, scoring off a wrap around to seal the game for the Panthers and give them a 3-0 lead. 

Toronto’s season will be on the line on Wednesday night as Florida will try to complete the sweep and move on to the Eastern Conference Finals.