Both clubs reached overtime in their third straight meeting against each other. The Panthers, who have participated in the least amount of overtime games this season, last played in overtime back on November 26.
Florida(21-20-5) took a 1-0 lead at 1:52 of the first period. Aaron Ekblad made a pass from the right point and Carter Verhaeghe fired a wrist shot from the right circle for his 21st goal of the season.
Toronto(27-11-7) tied it 1-1 at the 2:38 mark of the first. Morgan Rielly sent a diagonal pass from the right wing and former Panthers player Dryden Hunt guided it in from the left of the crease for his third tally this year.
The Panthers reclaimed the lead 2-1 on a shorthanded goal with 7:26 left in the first. Mitch Marner turned over the puck at the red line to Anton Lundell and he passed it ahead. Aleksander Barkov went on a breakaway and had his snap shot from the crease area saved by Matt Murray. Anton Lundell followed up and scored his sixth goal of the year on a forehand shot from the top of the crease.
The Maple Leafs evened it up again 2-2 on the power play with 4:50 to go. Calle Jarnkrok released a shot from the top right circle that Sergei Bobrovsky stopped. Alexander Kerfoot put in a backhand shot from the right of the crease for his seventh goal of the campaign.
It became 3-2 for the Cats with 1:56 remaining in the period. Gregori Denisenko sent a pass from the right goal line to Radko Gudas on the right point. His shot went wide hitting the back boards and Josh Mahura blasted a slap shot from the left wing for his fourth goal. Denisenko got his seventh NHL assist on the play.
In the second period, Florida increased it to a two-goal margin with the man advantage. Barkov picked up his 12th goal this season on assists from Brandon Montour and Sam Reinhart.
Toronto replaced Murray in net following the goal with Ilya Samsonov. The Panthers had not faced Samsonov since their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series against the Washington Capitals last season.
The Leafs closed it to 4-3 with 1.1 seconds left in the second on a power-play goal. Marner passed from the left wing to William Nylander on the left goal line. He centered it and Auston Matthews powered a one-time forehand shot from the left circle for his 22nd goal of the season. Marner set a Maple Leafs franchise record with a 19-game home point streak passing Darryl Sittler.
Toronto made it a tie game 4-4 at the 5:58 mark of the third period as Nylander collected his 23rd goal of the season. Marner and Mark Giordano were credited with the assists on the tally.
The Maple Leafs got the winning goal at 1:53 of overtime. Nylander skated from the center circle, around Verhaeghe in the left circle and slipped in a forehand shot from the top of the crease.
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