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The Maple Leafs persevered on Monday evening.
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In doing so, they beat the Florida Panthers in Recreation 1 of the second spherical.
After constructing an early lead and enduring the lack of beginning goaltender Anthony Stolarz, the gutsy Leafs held on and received 5-4 at Scotiabank Area.
Recreation 2 within the best-of-seven collection goes on Wednesday evening in Toronto.
William Nylander sparkled for the Leafs within the first interval, tying a Leafs playoff document with three factors.
The departure of Stolarz halfway by way of the second interval hung within the air as the sport progressed, however Joseph Woll, in his first look for the reason that regular-season finale on April 17, did sufficient to assist get the Leafs to the end line.
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Woll completed with 17 saves.
Matthew Knies scored the profitable objective when he beat Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky on a breakaway with six minutes remaining within the third interval.
With one minute 55 seconds left and Bobrovsky on the bench, a Sam Bennett shot went in off the stick of the Leafs’ Brandon Carlo.
The Panthers had lower the Leafs’ result in 4-3 on objectives by Eetu Luostarinen and Uvis Balinskis within the first 4 1/2 minutes of the third.
Stolarz left the sport not lengthy after he was knocked within the head by Bennett. Stolarz initially stayed within the recreation after Bennett bumped him, however departed after he appeared to get sick on the Leafs bench.
No penalty was known as on Bennett on the play.
“Elbow to the pinnacle,” Leafs coach Craig Berube stated after the sport. “Clear as day. (Supplementary self-discipline is) lower than me, that’s as much as the league. They’ll do what they suppose is important on that play. That’s not for me to touch upon. That’s their job and so they’ll do it.”
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The Leafs introduced initially of the third interval that Stolarz remained beneath analysis and wouldn’t return to the sport. Dennis Hildeby, the Leafs’ third goalie, made his option to the bench not lengthy after the third interval obtained underway.
Berube wouldn’t verify that Stolarz being evaluated at hospital, following experiences he was loaded onto a stretcher earlier than leaving the rink.
“Proper now, he’s simply being evaluated,” Berube stated.
Stated Panthers coach Paul Maurice to reporters: “That is what’s going to occur: You’re going to all gentle your hair on fireplace and I’m going to allow you to. The referee (Chris Rooney) is standing proper there when it occurred. After which you’ll do your factor and the league will do its factor and I’ll coach the following recreation.”
Chris Tanev scored the one objective of the second interval when his knuckler took a bounce and skipped previous Bobrovsky at 7:50.
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Nylander tied a Leafs post-season mark for many factors in a interval when he scored two objectives and had an help within the first 20 minutes.
The third level got here on a terrific saucer move to Morgan Rielly, who obtained the puck on the Toronto blue-line and broke down the ice on a 2-on-1 with John Tavares. Rielly stored and beat Bobrovsky on the brief facet at 17:16 to revive a two-goal Leafs lead.
Rielly’s objective was the 14th of his profession within the playoffs, essentially the most in Leafs historical past by a defenceman. Rielly handed Ian Turnbull, who had 13 objectives within the playoffs for Toronto in his profession.
That got here simply 19 seconds after a shot by Panthers defenceman Seth Jones eluded Stolarz excessive on the blocker facet throughout a Florida energy play.
Nylander’s second objective, at 12:51 of the primary, got here off a fats rebound on a shot by Leafs defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Nylander escaped the discover of the Panthers, picked up the puck and deked to his forehand. Down on one knee, Nylander lifted the puck over Bobrovsky for a 2-0 lead.
Nylander obtained the gang into it early, scoring 33 seconds into the sport when he beat Bobrovsky between the legs from a troublesome angle. A battle between Tavares and Jones supplied a display in entrance of Bobrovsky.
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