"I think it's a really good challenge," Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe said following this morning's skate in South Florida. "They're a great team and they beat us at their home last time. We always like playing good teams and having a battle out there. It's going to be a fun game."
In their lone previous meeting back on March 27 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, John Tavares scored a pair of goals on the power play to lead the Maple Leafs to a 5-2 win over the Panthers.
Incredibly, that was only the third game the Panthers have lost since March 1, an outstanding run of success in which they've accumulated a 13-2-1 record for a league-leading 27 points.
"They checked the heck of out of us in Toronto," Panthers interim head coach Andrew Brunette said. "We were not connected - something we talk about all the time. We didn't have the will they had that game. Tonight, we have to make sure we bring more will and determination."
The first team in the NHL to punch their ticket to the playoffs, the Panthers enter tonight's tilt fresh off a 5-3 at Buffalo on Sunday. Against the Sabres, Anthony Duclair scored a pair of goals, while Jonathan Huberdeau, Anton Lundell and MacKenzie Weegar each touched twine once.
Between the pipes, rookie Spencer Knight made 26 saves to improve to 15-8-3.
Setting a new franchise record for points in a season, Huberdeau, a contender for the Hart Trophy, ranks third in the NHL in points (97) and first in assists (73). Second on the team in scoring with 72 points, Aleksander Barkov has multiple points in each of his last four games.
While the Panthers lead the league with an average of 4.12 goals per game, the Maple Leafs are right behind them in second with an average of 3.80 goals per game. Rightfully confident in their potent attack, the Panthers are turning their attention to defense down the home stretch.
"We want to tighten up a couple things defensively, for sure," said Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling, who has registered five points (three goals, two assists) in his last three contests. "We know that we're going to score a lot of goals. For us, we've got to keep it close back there."
Extending their winning streak to five games, the Maple Leafs cruised to a convincing 6-2 win over the Lightning on the other side of the Sunshine State less than 24 hours ago on Monday.
Finding the back of the net three times for his fourth hat trick of the season, Auston Matthews tied a franchise record for goals in a season by upping his league-best total to 54. On a scoring tear, he's tallied 17 goals in his last 13 games, which includes an active six-game goals streak.
"He's playing at the highest level in the league right now," Brunette said. "Probably the difference between him and some of the other great players is that his shot is so deadly. He has the ability to break you down with his feet and his skill, but then he keeps you very honest with his shot. Probably the quickest release that I've seen in a long time. He's dangerous."
With Jack Campbell starting at Tampa Bay, Erik Kallgren will get the nod in net for the Maple Leafs. In seven games this season, he's posted a 4-2-1 record with a .906 save percentage.
For the home team, Sergei Bobrovsky will man the crease for the Panthers. Needing just two more wins to match Roberto Luongo's franchise single-season record, the two-time Vezina Trophy winner boasts a strong 33-6-3 record with a .914 save percentage and three shutouts.
As the playoffs approach, both teams likely view this game as a good measuring stick.
"It's an exciting game for us," Brunette said. "We know we're both going to be in [the playoffs] and we're probably going to have to play each other if we want to get through things. It's fun to see where we're at right now."
