Maple Leafs at Panthers
The Florida Panthers looked like a potential seller a month ago, but they have kept a red-hot team intact through the trade deadline instead and hope to continue their surge toward a playoff position when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday. The Panthers have won nine of their last 12 contests after posting a thrilling 6-5 victory over Pittsburgh on Saturday in the second game of a stretch during which they play 11 of 12 at home.
“We’re confident in what we have in this locker room,” Florida goaltender Roberto Luongo told reporters after winning his second straight decision after suffering a 1-0 loss at Toronto last Tuesday. “We’ve had some success lately, and that builds a little more confidence in our group and the way we play. We feel that when we’re playing well, we can beat anybody.” The Panthers must raise their level of play even higher against the Maple Leafs, who are 13-2-1 in their last 16 contests after suffering a 4-3 shootout loss at Tampa Bay on Monday. Toronto coach Mike Babcock felt the performance was not one his team’s best, but he has plenty of confidence after the dust settled following the trade deadline. “We like our chances, we really do,” Babcock told reporters after his team allowed 42 shots on Monday. “No matter what anybody got today, we like our chances. We think our hockey club can play real fast. We’re just going to get better from here.”
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, TSN4 (Toronto), FS Florida
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (39-20-6): Mitch Marner remained red-hot on Monday, scoring one goal while setting up another, and has recorded seven of his team-leading 53 points in the last three contests. Tomas Plekanec, who was acquired from Montreal on Sunday, posted a minus-1 rating while registering one shot, one hit and four penalty minutes in 11 minutes, 38 seconds of playing time in his team debut at Tampa Bay. Curtis McElhinney (7-4-0, .932 save percentage) has allowed just three goals over his last three starts and is expected to face Florida after Frederik Andersen made 39 saves on Monday as his personal three-game winning streak came to an end.
ABOUT THE PANTHERS (28-25-6): Evgenii Dadonov registered his first NHL hat trick on Saturday and has recorded seven goals along with three assists over his last seven games to support the team’s top three point producers. “He’s an elite goal scorer in this league and in this world,” All-Star center Aleksander Barkov, who leads the team with 58 points, told reporters. “He was scoring a lot of goals in Russia and it was just a matter of time when the puck started going in.” Barkov has recorded 15 points in 11 games this month while Vincent Trocheck has tallied in back-to-back contests to tie Jonathan Huberdeau for second on the team with 55 points.
OVERTIME
1. Florida Cs Frank Vatrano, who was acquired from Boston on Thursday, and Denis Malgin both are questionable with lower-body injuries.
2. Toronto LW James van Riemsdyk scored his sixth goal in 10 contests on Monday and is riding a six-game point streak.
3. The Maple Leafs are 5-1-1 in the last seven meetings, but the teams have split two matchups this season while combining for just three goals.