SUNRISE, Fla. – The Toronto Maple Leafs demanded a response.
Internally, they discussed Thursday’s embarrassing beatdown by the Tampa Bay Lightning and were determined to not go 0-for-Florida this week.
Welcoming Auston Matthews back to the lineup would be a lift to what Jonathan Huberdeau anticipated would be an “angry” group.
The effort was certainly there.
But the result was the same.
The Maple Leafs lost 3-2 in overtime over the Florida Panthers Saturday here, as the Cats extended their winning streak to a franchise-record 13 games.
Much like last time Toronto visited this barn, the Leafs built a multi-goal lead early, then watched as the Panthers — hockey’s comeback kings — clawed back to erase that lead.
“This is as competitive a group as I’ve ever been around,” Panthers coach Andrew Brunette said of the streak before the game. “We maybe didn’t play our best games a lot of those games, but their will to push themselves to get wins or get goals has been uncanny.”
Mitch Marner scored on the night’s first shot by one-timing a smart end-boards bank pass from T.J. Brodie.
Then Justin Holl whipped a puck off Florida defender Radko Gudas and past Sergei Bobrovsky, giving Toronto a 2-0 head start after the first period.
The second period was all Panthers. Aleksander Barkov cleaned up the rebound on a dancing drive by former Leaf Mason Marchment. And Claude Giroux struck early on a slick passing sequence by Florida’s five-forward power-play unit.
The sides exchanged a flurry of rushes chances in the third before Brandon Montour buried the winner in the extra frame.
“They’ve just been running through everybody all year long,” Matthews said before the game. “I’m not sure there’s really a big weakness in their game.
“I know we feel confident in our group. But obviously this is a team that’s been the standard of the NHL so far this year, at least in our conference for sure.”
Fox’s Fast 5
• Michael Bunting’s face was struck by a puck and he suffered an awkward fall in the first period. He left the game and did not return. The nature of his injury was not disclosed.
• Marner has racked up up 29 goals and 75 points over his past 46 games. That’s a 52-goal, 134-point pace over 82 games.
“He’s a ridiculous player,” Panthers coach Andrew Brunette marvelled.
“He’s just so smart and really sneaky competitive. His IQ is off the charts and what he can do, how he sees the ice, how he defends … it’s a little bit like (Pavel) Datsyuk with his ability to strip pucks and (be) on pucks all the time and be very deceptive in everything he does. He doesn’t get nearly the credit he deserves. He’s a wonderful player.”
• Jonathan Huberdeau (114 points) is a “having a monster year,” Keefe pointed out. And yet? Not quite as monstrous as that of Connor McDavid (116 points), whom he’s battling for the Art Ross Trophy.
Both stars have four more games to increase their total. Can Huberdeau overthrow the king?
“It’d be great,” Huberdeau said. “Obviously with McDavid, it’s not easy. I mean, he drops three points every night.”
The Panthers playmaker is trying not to dwell on the race or check the Oilers’ boxscore.
“It’s always my brother,” Huberdeau said. “He’s like, ‘Ah, McDavid again!’ I’m like, ‘You can stop texting me. It’s fine.’ ”
• Three on one:
• Having locked up the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, the “Catlantic” Division champs (Florida’s phrase, not mine) have begun implementing some load management. Patric Hornqvist, 35, sat out Tuesday to rest.
