Toronto Maple Leafs return to form with 3-1 victory over the Florida Panthers
After a slight fall from grace in their recent games, the Toronto Maple Leafs have been looking for a way to get themselves back into the win column. They finally found one as they beat
the Florida Panthers 3-1 on Tuesday, 26 October.
How it happened
The Leafs got off to a hot start in the first period with a power play goal from Tyler Bozak. His first goal of the season was scored with 41 seconds to go in the first period, and was
assisted by Nikolai Kulemin and captain Dion Phaneuf.
In the second period, the Panthers evened the score at 1-1 with Dennis Wideman’s power play tally, his second goal of the season. Cats captain Bryan McCabe and Stephen Weiss picked up
the assists on Wideman’s wrist shot, which was the only goal scored in the second frame.
Toronto regained control of the game in the final period. At 11:02, Maple Leafs’ enforcer Colton Orr tipped Tim Brent’s shot into the net during a goal-mouth scramble. Fredrik Sjostrom
got the other assist. Phil Kessel’s seventh goal of the season at 17:36 clinched things up for Toronto. His unassisted wrist shot came on a breakaway, and easily found its way behind Panthers goaltender Scott Clemmensen.
Clemmensen finished the game with 24 saves for the Panthers, while J.S. Giguere was solid in the Leafs’ net, stopping 21 Florida shots to earn the win.
What they’re saying
Orr’s goal during the third period was a questionable one, as he knocked Clemmensen over before re-directing Brent’s shot into the Panthers’ net. Even Leafs’ coach Ron Wilson agreed that
Orr should have received a penalty on the play.
“Colton took the goalie out and there should have been a penalty ... but they didn’t see it, so you take what you can get,” Wilson said of the goal.
“The goalie stepped way out of the net, and Colton was just trying to get to the front, but he kind of ran over him and I guess the puck must have hit his rear end or something and went
in.”
Orr added that it was not his intention to collide with Clemmensen, as he was only trying to re-position himself near the front.
“I was trying not to make any contact,” said Orr. “I was just trying to get out to the front.”
Cats coach Peter DeBoer said that the game featured some tough battles between the two teams, and there were better ways to go after wins.
“It's unfortunate,” DeBoer said of the game’s result. “You’ve got 40 guys battling hard on that ice on both teams. Games shouldn't be decided that way.”
Both teams will return to action on Thursday, 28 October. Toronto will play against the Boston Bruins on while Florida will visit the Ottawa Senators.
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