First Period

Simon Benoit took the sort of penalty you should not take in the offensive zone.

Good kill from the Leafs.

The John Tavares line got a nice flurry of offence, followed up by the Domi line stuck in the zone, but Domi made an even better stick move on this one.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson went off for tripping right after.

A couple of oh-shit moments on the PK as the Leafs failed to clear, but they got it done.

Four minutes of PK in the first 11 minutes of the game for the Leafs.

The Matthews line got two good chances, both no goal.

Matt Knies showed pain and discomfort on the bench after a hit, and he missed a shift with his line. Bobby McMann took his place.

After one it was zero-zero. The Leafs massively outshot the Panthers, and missed on half the shots that weren't blocked. So bear that in mind when you look at this:

The Panthers were, once again, terrible at five-on-five, and not very good on the power play. They get through periods like this with Bobrovsky.

Second Period

Matt Knies started the second period.

He didn't look sharp in his first two shifts, and he was painting a big target on his back with all the writhing and grimacing on the bench.

Leafs spent a long time hemmed in, but Florida didn't make much of it. Can't keep doing that, though.

McMann was back out with the Matthews line, as Knies looked unable to play.

Another big session hemmed in with Benoit stuck out for minutes for the second time.

Knies out with the third line. If they hadn't been hemmed in, I'd want William Nylander double shifting there.

Alex Barkov hit Auston Matthews in the eye area with a high stick on a faceoff. No call, and Matthews went to the locker room.

Oh, sure, that's a penalty. Too many men for Florida. Matthews back out for the power play.

Matthews took a penalty during the power play in the offensive zone. Because sometimes it is like a movie, it's high-sticking on an errant stick in Aaron Ekblad's face.

It was careless, and very badly timed, but the irony, it burns.

Leafs killed the power play after a good four-on-four session.

So, like I said, sometimes it is like a movie as Ekblad took a penalty for interference. Which is his resting state, but whatever.

Not the greatest power play, ever, not the worst.

After two it was zero-zero.

That period was not quite all Florida, but it was mostly them. Joe Woll shut them out. That's how you get through periods like that.

At some point late in the period, the lines reformed as normal, with Knies playing on the top line.

Third Period

I don't remember the start of the third. It was just tense. And then...

1-0 Leafs

The best part was the Leafs kept playing. They didn't sit back and rest on this miniscule lead.

Domi went to the net (on a good play) and a Florida player crashed into him and into Bobrovsky. He looked in some pain there.

Also, Sam Bennett elbowed Bobrovsky on the way by.

Brandon Carlo took a very ill-timed penalty for obvious hooking on Barkov. Eleven minutes to go.

Fabulous PK, clearing the puck, denying entries. Just excellence for two minutes.

Maaaaax! Pacioretty this time with the insurance goal. And it's Max^2, as Domi got the second assist.

2-0 Leafs

Bobrovsky came out with three minutes to go.

Florida took a timeout, largely because their six-on-five hasn't been very dangerous.

The Leafs continued to kill off what was essentially a power play.

Leafs Win!

Next game is Sunday at 7:30. Is this enough tension for your holiday weekend?

Game CoverageMaple Leafs Playoffs