Maple Leafs at Panthers
The Florida Panthers vie for their second three-game winning streak of the season when they host the plummeting Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday. Florida has seen its offense record nine goals since acquiring Jaromir Jagr, who scored for the 717th time in his NHL career and added an assist in a 4-3 victory over state-rival Tampa Bay on Sunday. "We're in the hunt, two points out (of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference)," general manager Dale Tallon told the Miami Herald after his team was quiet at Monday's trade deadline. "Team morale is very high, we have a lot of energy and enthusiasm. Team chemistry is important and you don't want to disrupt that."
While the Panthers like where they stand, the same can't be said for the tumbling Maple Leafs. Toronto is mired in a franchise-high 16-game road losing streak (0-14-2) and has not won away from home since a 4-3 shootout victory at Boston on Dec. 31. The Maple Leafs failed to make a dent in the first two contests of their four-game trek, recording identical 4-0 losses to Montreal (on Saturday) and Washington (Sunday) while extending their scoring drought on the road to 162 minutes, 7 seconds.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, TSN4 (Toronto), FSN Florida
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (25-33-5): Olli Jokinen's time in Toronto predictably was short-lived as the veteran was shipped to St. Louis on Monday for fellow forward Joakim Lindstrom and a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2016 draft. "We asked him to come here and play as hard as he could to put himself in a spot where teams would look at him favorably, and he did that," general manager Dave Nonis said of the 36-year-old Jokinen. "I think he's excited to go there ... and have a chance to win the Cup." Toronto also swapped defensemen with Anaheim, sending Korbinian Holzer to the Ducks for Eric Brewer and a fifth-round selection in the 2016 draft.
ABOUT THE PANTHERS (28-22-13): Florida claimed the first two meetings with Toronto to extend its winning streak in the series to four games. Brad Boyes scored the winning goal in the Panthers' 6-4 triumph over the Maple Leafs on Dec. 28 and also tallied for the 200th time in his career versus the Lightning. Like Boyes, Jimmy Hayes has recorded a goal and an assist in the series against Toronto while Jussi Jokinen has scored a goal and set up three others in the two games versus the Maple Leafs.
OVERTIME
1. Florida G Roberto Luongo has been in net for both meetings with Toronto to improve to 17-7-0 lifetime versus the club.
2. Maple Leafs C Nazem Kadri and LW James van Riemsdyk each have scored a goal and set up two others against Panthers this season.
3. Florida won three straight contests from Jan. 8-11 during a six-game road trip.