Nylander powers Leafs over Panthers in Game 1 as Toronto loses Stolarz to injury
The Toronto Maple Leafs got off to a flying start in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, taking Game 1 against the Florida Panthers with a 5-4 victory on Monday night. William Nylander was the star of the show, scoring twice in the first period and adding an assist to lead his team to victory.
Nylander opened the scoring just 33 seconds into the game, beating Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky through the five-hole from a tight angle. He then doubled the lead at 12:51 with a slick deke that saw him roof the puck past Bobrovsky for his second goal of the period. Seth Jones got one back for the Panthers on the power play, but Morgan Rielly restored Toronto’s two-goal lead just 19 seconds later.
The Leafs continued to build on their lead in the second period, with Chris Tanev scoring to make it 4-1. However, the game took a turn when Toronto goaltender Anthony Stolarz left the game with an undisclosed injury after being caught with a sneaky elbow to the back of the head by Sam Bennett.
Backup goalie Joseph Woll came in relief and faced a Panthers team that refused to go down without a fight. Eetu Luostarinen and Uvis Balinskis scored early in the third period to cut Toronto’s lead to one. But Matthew Knies extended the Leafs’ lead with a goal late in the third, making it 5-3. Bennett scored his second of the game to bring Florida back within one, but Woll and the Leafs held on for the win.
The Panthers were without defenseman Aaron Ekblad, who was serving a two-game suspension for a headshot in the previous round. The Leafs, on the other hand, welcomed a new addition as Mitch Marner became a father over the weekend.
With the win, the Leafs took a 1-0 series lead and will look to build on their momentum in Game 2 on Wednesday. The matchup between these two Atlantic Division heavyweights promises to be a thrilling and competitive series, with both teams fighting for a chance to advance to the next round of the playoffs.
