The Florida Panthers halted a five-game losing streak in a much-needed bounce-back win, topping the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 on Tuesday night behind a clutch third-period goal from Eetu Luostarinen.
Luostarinen broke a 1-1 tie just over a minute into the third period, and the reigning Stanley Cup champions held firm the rest of the way. Defenseman Gustav Forsling also scored for Florida, while Carter Verhaeghe iced the game with an empty-net goal in the final minute. Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky made 17 saves, including a pivotal sequence with 5:32 remaining when he denied back-to-back chances by Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies to preserve the Panthers’ lead.
With the win, Florida (now with four games remaining) moves within four points of Toronto and just two behind Tampa Bay in a tightly packed Atlantic Division race.
“We’ve been in a tough stretch,” Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said postgame. “But tonight, we showed the type of team we can be when we’re dialed in defensively and make the most of our chances.”
John Tavares scored his 37th goal of the season for Toronto, which saw its four-game winning streak snapped. The Maple Leafs struggled to generate high-danger opportunities, managing just 18 shots on goal and going 0-for-2 on the power play.
Toronto finishes the regular-season series 1-3-0 against Florida and is now just 3-10-2 versus the Panthers since late in the 2022-23 season — not an encouraging trend with the potential of a first-round playoff meeting looming.
Florida got a boost with the return of captain Aleksander Barkov, who had missed the previous three games with an upper-body injury. His presence was felt on both ends of the ice, including an assist on Verhaeghe’s late empty-net goal.
However, the team continues to be without key pieces. Forward Sam Bennett has been ruled out for the remainder of the regular season with an upper-body injury. Matthew Tkachuk (lower-body) remains sidelined with no guarantee for a Game 1 return, and defenseman Aaron Ekblad is suspended until Game 3 of the first round.
The defining moment came late in regulation. A turnover deep in Florida’s zone handed Matthews a clean look from the slot. Bobrovsky made the initial stop and immediately turned away a rebound attempt by Knies, drawing a roar from the Amerant Bank Arena crowd and keeping Florida in control.
“That was the game right there,” Forsling said. “Those saves gave us the push we needed.”
In an unusual twist, the game’s first three goals featured just one total assist. Verhaeghe’s empty-netter was the only goal with multiple helpers, assisted by Brad Marchand and Barkov.
The Maple Leafs head south to visit Tampa Bay on Wednesday in a crucial back-to-back. The Panthers return to action Thursday at home against the Detroit Red Wings.
With the postseason around the corner, Tuesday’s win may have come just in time to restore confidence — and keep the Panthers’ division title hopes alive.
