TORONTO — William Nylander acquired the Maple Leafs off to a flying begin within the second spherical of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The star winger scored twice within the first interval earlier than including an help as Toronto constructed an enormous lead early earlier than holding on late to down the Florida Panthers 5-4 and take Recreation 1 on Monday night time.
Matthew Knies and Chris Tanev, with a objective and an help every, and Morgan Rielly supplied the remainder of the offence for the Leafs, who acquired eight saves from Anthony Stolarz earlier than he left with an undisclosed damage within the second interval.
Joseph Woll stopped 17 pictures in reduction. Max Pacioretty and Jake McCabe added two assists apiece to open the groups’ best-of-seven sequence.
Seth Jones, Eetu Luostarinen, Uvis Balinskis and Sam Bennett replied for the Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 24 pictures for the defending champs. Brad Marchand and Carter Verhaeghe had two assists every.
Florida beat Toronto in 5 video games on the identical stage of the 2023 post-season on the way in which to creating the Cup closing. The Panthers went one step additional 12 months later once they hoisted hockey’s Holy Grail for the primary time in franchise historical past.
Recreation 2 goes Wednesday again at Scotiabank Area. The matchup of Atlantic Division heavyweights then shifts to South Florida.
Toronto opened the scoring inside a rocking rink simply 33 seconds after puck drop when Nylander beat Bobrovsky by means of the five-hole from a good angle for his fourth objective of the playoffs.
The Leafs, who beat the Ottawa Senators 4-2 within the first spherical to register simply the second sequence win for the Unique Six franchise in additional than 20 years, went up 2-0 at 12:51 when Nylander scooped up an enormous Bobrovsky rebound earlier than deking the goaltender to the ice and roofing his second of the interval.
Jones acquired the guests on the board with a shot from the purpose by means of visitors on an influence play at 16:57 for his second after Toronto was whistled for too many males.
However the residence facet restored its two-goal lead simply 19 seconds later when Nylander despatched Rielly off to the races on a 2-on-1 with John Tavares. The defenceman and longest-serving member of the present roster appeared Bobrovsky off earlier than firing previous the netminder’s blocker for his third of the post-season.
Florida, which beat the Tampa Bay Lightning in 5 video games to advance, acquired a person benefit within the second that noticed Stolarz make a few stops, however Bennett caught him with a sneaky elbow to the again of the top.
Toronto made it 4-1 at 7:50 when Tanev’s knuckling shot from distance fooled Bobrovsky for his first.
Stolarz, who backed up Bobrovsky on the way in which to Florida’s Cup win, was caught by tv cameras vomiting by the bench a couple of minutes later earlier than getting changed by Woll.
Nylander had an opportunity to finish the primary playoff hat trick of his profession on a shot that knocked the stick out of Bobrovsky’s hand that stayed out because the Leafs headed to the locker room up three.
However Luostarinen reduce the deficit again to 2 on a redirection 1:41 into the ultimate interval together with his second. Balinskis then made it 4-3 at 4:30 together with his first after a Panthers push inside a all of the sudden tense constructing.
Toronto failed to attach on two energy performs later in third earlier than Bobrovsky denied Max Domi on a break.
Knies made it 5-3 with six minutes left in regulation with a transfer to the backhand on one other breakaway for his fourth.
Florida would not go away, and Bennett acquired his staff again inside one with 1:55 left in regulation on a pinballed shot off a Toronto stick for his fourth, however Woll and the Leafs held the fort late to safe an early lead within the sequence.
The Panthers had been with out defenceman Aaron Ekblad, who completed off a two-game suspension for his headshot on Tampa ahead Brandon Hagel within the opening spherical.
Leafs winger Mitch Marner, who turned 28 on Monday, and spouse Stephanie welcomed the couple’s first youngster over the weekend.
Recreation 1 winners in a best-of-seven personal an all-time sequence document of 531-249 (. 681), together with 6-2 within the first spherical this spring.
The Leafs have three gamers from the Panthers’ championship staff — Stolarz, defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Steven Lorentz.
Ekman-Larsson was requested about his time with quick-witted Florida head coach Paul Maurice earlier than Recreation 1.
“A number of enjoyable quotes, very sensible man,” mentioned the blueliner. “I had a blast.”
