Maple Leafs at Panthers
THE STORY: A four-game losing skid has all but eliminated the Maple
Leafs from Stanley Cup playoff contention. Toronto, which is 2-12-2 in
its last 16 outings, is virtually in a position where it needs to win
out to earn a postseason berth. The Panthers are the last team the Leafs
want to see, but they will Tuesday in Florida. The Panthers have won
four straight over Toronto and seven of the last 10 meetings, with three
of those wins coming this season.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, SNET-O (Maple Leafs), FS Florida (Panthers)
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (30-31-8):
Toronto makes the second stop of its five-game road swing. The Maple
Leafs were shut out by Washington in the opener and haven’t scored in
more than 147 minutes of ice time. Back-to-back shutout losses to the
Capitals and Flyers marked the first time in two years the Leafs have
failed to score in two straight games. It was also only the third time
since 1965 that those back-to-back shutouts came on consecutive days.
ABOUT THE PANTHERS (32-23-13):
A four-game homestand should help Florida stay on top of the Southeast
standings. The Panthers, who are one point ahead of the Capitals, have
played their best hockey at home, posting a 17-9-8 mark inside
BankAtlantic Center. Jose Theodore picked up his ninth home win,
stopping 34 shots in a 2-0 victory over Carolina. He owns a 2.12 goals
against average at home this season.
OVERTIME:
1. Florida is 20-1-5 when leading after two periods.
2. Florida winger Kris Versteeg and defenseman Dmitry Kulikov could return from injury during the homestand.
3. The Maple Leafs and Panthers are the only teams to have not made the playoffs since the 2004-05 lockout.