Winning nine of their last 11 games to tighten their grip on first place in the Atlantic Division, the surging Panthers (44-14-6) currently own a seven-point lead over the Bruins (41-19-5), eight-point lead over the Lightning (40-18-6) and nine-point lead over the Maple Leafs (40-19-5).
"It's a really good team and, you know, it's a back-to-back," Panthers all-star winger Jonathan Huberdeau said of the Maple Leafs. "It's our first game against them. We're excited. It's going to be a big challenge, a division game. We've just got to get ready to play and have a good start."
Leaving no points on the table through the first two stops on their three-game swing through Canada, the Panthers followed up a 4-3 win at Montreal on Thursday by erasing a three-goal deficit to come from behind and secure a wild 4-3 win in a shootout at Ottawa on Saturday.
Trailing 3-0 in the second period against the Senators, Anthony Duclair and Patric Hornqvist each scored to trim the deficit down to 3-2 heading into the third period. With just 2:16 left in regulation, Aleksander Barkov threaded home a point shot to make it 3-3 and force overtime.
Following some huge saves from Sergei Bobrovsky and a key penalty kill in the extra frame, Barkov continued his heroics by beating Anton Forsberg, who looked nearly unbeatable at times while making 46 saves in defeat, with a backhand goal to lock in the 4-3 win in the shootout.
Earning their "Comeback Cats" nickname, the Panthers have clawed their way back from being down by at least three goals to win a game a league-leading three times already this campaign. "We have the mindset that we're going to come back no matter what," said Barkov, who leads Florida with 28 goals.
"We played a good game. Even in the first period down 2-0, and in the second period down 3-0, I feel like nobody even had one thought that we were going to lose."
Going 13-for-20 (65%) in the faceoff circle - including winning the key draw that helped set up Barkov's game-tying goal - Claude Giroux also dished two assists in Ottawa to give him four helpers in two games since being acquired by the Panthers prior to Monday's trade deadline.
"That's what he brings us to," Barkov said. "He knows all the situations, how to play them right. Faceoffs are a huge part of the game, and he's really good at them. You can trust him and talk about different plays when he's taking the faceoff because there's a good chance he's winning."
With the Panthers posting a 9-1-1 record over their last 11 games outside of Sunrise, Barkov leads the team in goals (18) and points (38) on the road this season, while Huberdeau, who ranks fourth in the NHL in scoring with 89 points, has handed out a team-high 25 road assists.
After Bobrovsky came up big between the pipes less than 24 hours ago against the Senators, it wouldn't be surprising to see rookie Spencer Knight draw in against the Maple Leafs. Owning a 13-7-3 record, the 20-year-old is 6-2-1 with a. 931 save percentage over his last nine contests.
Losing ground on the Panthers last night, the Maple Leafs suffered a 4-2 loss at Montreal on Saturday. Tied 2-2 in the third period after a power-play goal from William Nylander, Toronto went on to surrender two late goals in the third period to let key points slip through the cracks.
Opening the scoring against the Canadiens, Auston Matthews netted his league-leading 47th goal of the season. Needing one more goal to set a new career-high, he's been on a scoring tear, lightning the lamp seven times in his last eight games while potting 10 goals in that span.
"They play hard against us," Matthews said of Montreal. "They're fast and skilled, and despite where they are in the standings, this is the NHL and there's good players that are still playing for a purpose, for meaning, whether it's a contract or whatever that might be."
Tied for third in the NHL on offense, the Maple Leafs are averaging 3.63 goals per game, which places them behind only the Avalanche (3.82) and Panthers (4.05) on the leaderboard. Helping out Matthews up front, Mitch Marner sits second on Toronto in both goals (27) and points (71).
With Erik Kallgren starting in Montreal, Petr Mrazek, who went unclaimed on waivers last week, will reportedly get the nod against the Panthers. Compiling an 11-6-0 record with a .885 save percentage this season, he's gone 5-2-0 with a .880 save percentage in his last eight outings.
Last seeing each other during in 2019-20, Florida went 2-1-0 against Toronto that season.
