Toronto dominated Florida for most of the game on Wednesday night. All four lines were creating chances for the Leafs but Alex Lyon was the best player on the ice. The 30 year old goaltender stopped 38 of the 40 shots he faced to pick up two points for a team desperately pushing for a playoff spot. Below are the highlights from the game.
One minute into the game, the Panthers got on the board first. Jake McCabe turned the puck over with a weak pass into the skates of John Tavares. Seconds later, Anton Lundell put it in the back of the net…
The Cats strike first! 💥 pic.twitter.com/GN3IL4FcFR
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 29, 2023
Auston Matthews had the Leafs first quality chance about 7:30 into the first. He picked the puck up off the offensive zone draw, circled the net and tried to tuck home the wraparound. Lyon stood tall…
Matthews on the wraparound pic.twitter.com/VvjUKWk8Eo
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) March 29, 2023
Toronto controlled most of the period but Lyon was the best player on the ice over the first 20 minutes. Late in the frame Timothy Liljegren set up Zach Aston-Reese in front. The Panthers goaltender came out on top again…
closer look at the Liljegren to ZAR deflection pic.twitter.com/orMkS5Y6zf
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) March 30, 2023
The Leafs finally solved Lyon a couple minutes into the second. Aston-Reese perfectly deflected TJ Brodie’s point shot to make it 1-1…
ZAR!! pic.twitter.com/dtkDP4aDln
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) March 30, 2023
Just over halfway through the period Florida had a rare scoring chance. Aaron Ekblad joined the attack and tried to beat Ilya Samsonov short side…
Samsonov makes the shoulder save on Ekblad pic.twitter.com/gfrFFBzLAJ
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) March 30, 2023
Aston-Reese continued to create chances throughout the period. He nearly pulled off the Forsberg on a breakaway but couldn’t put it home. He drew a penalty shot in the process. Lyon denied him again…
Zach Aston-Reese gets slashed on the breakaway
Forsberg-esque pic.twitter.com/L4DgonaLHo
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) March 30, 2023
Lyon didn’t give Aston-Reese anything pic.twitter.com/GIVnf7yDNq
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) March 30, 2023
Early in the third the Panther had one of their better chances in the game. Lundell tipped the Radko Gudas point shot on net. Samsonov kept the game tied…
point-blank deflection stopped by Samsonov pic.twitter.com/xBPZVOgcCt
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) March 30, 2023
A few minutes later Matthews scored his 37th of the year to put the Leafs in front. His quick one-timer from the top of the circle somehow squeaked through Lyon. 2-1 Leafs…
PAPI POWER 💪 pic.twitter.com/4q4gdaz6XI
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) March 30, 2023
Toronto had a few more chances but they couldn’t find the insurance goal they needed. Sam Reinhart knotted it up in the final minute with a gorgeous tip-in…
Sam Reinhart ties things up late in the third! 😼 pic.twitter.com/yXk84I8omb
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 30, 2023
Matthews did everything he could to win the game. He created a couple chances out of nothing in overtime. Once again it was Lyon shutting the door…
Matthews snapped on this shift pic.twitter.com/tuqfNeS7Q9
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) March 30, 2023
Brandon Montour won it for the Cats a couple minutes later. Sasha Barkov found him with the cross-crease pass and he tapped it in. 63rd point of the year for Montour. Most ever in a single season by a Panthers’ defenceman. 3-2 Florida Final.
2 POINTS IN A MUST WIN GAME: ✅
Montour finishes off a Barkov pass to score the @SUBWAYCanada OT winner for the Panthers. pic.twitter.com/QFV15FjMAD
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 30, 2023
