After finally winning a first-round NHL playoff series for the first time in almost 20 years, the Toronto Maple Leafs have looked out of sorts in round two.
The Leafs dropped Games 1 and 2 at home against the Florida Panthers earlier this week, and now trail the best-of-seven series 2-0.
Tonight’s game is being played in Sunrise, Florida, as will Wednesday’s Game 4. The Leafs will have to win at least one of those contests in order to force a Game 5 back in Toronto.
Follow along online here on CTV News Toronto for live updates from tonight’s game.
8:15 p.m.
The Leafs and Panthers are tied at 2 goals apiece after the second period.
8 p.m.
Carter Verhaeghe scores for the Panthers to tie the game at 2-2.
7:48 p.m.
The Leafs regain the lead after Erik Gustafsson’s goal midway through the second period. Toronto leads Florida 2-1.
7:41 p.m.
Panthers forward Anthony Duclair scores a power play goal on Joseph Woll to tie the game at 1-1 in the second period.
7:37 p.m.
Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov exits the game less than a minute into the second period with an injury after he was inadvertently knocked down by Luke Schenn. He has been replaced by Joseph Woll.
7:35 p.m.
The second period is underway.
7:15 p.m.
The Leafs take a 1-0 lead into the first intermission thanks to Sam Lafferty’s goal early in the first period.
6:45 p.m.
Less than three minutes into the first period, Sam Lafferty scores on a one-timer to give the Leafs an early 1-0 lead.
Leafs Game 3 Lineup
In their first round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Leafs were without winger Michael Bunting for Games 3 and 4. Now, they’ll be without the standout rookie who replaced him.
Matthew Knies, who suffered a concussion in Game 2, has been ruled out for Games 3 and 4 and is unlikely to return at all during the series, according to Leafs Head Coach Sheldon Keefe.
The 20-year-old was cross-checked into the boards in the first period by Florida’s Sam Bennett, who followed up by grabbing the Leafs winger by the head/neck and slamming him backwards onto the ice behind the Panthers’ goal.
Knies did not return to the game after the first intermission. Bennett was not penalized on the play.
With Knies out of the lineup, Keefe is likely to insert either Zach Aston-Reese or Wayne Simmonds into the fourth line, pushing Alexander Kerfoot to the third line alongside Ryan O’Reilly and Noel Acciari.
Road Warriors
Although the Leafs squandered their home ice advantage losing Games 1 and 2, they haven’t had trouble winning in Florida so far this post-season.
The Leafs won all three of their road games in Tampa in round one – although each one went into overtime.
The Leafs will be hoping for more road magic tonight, and they’ll have some help from their home fans.
Florida is home to many snowbirds, who showed up in big numbers to support visiting Canadian teams during the regular season.
Many Leafs fans in Toronto have also decided to make the trip down to Florida for tonight’s game as well as for Game 4, in part because tickets are much more affordable on the road.
The Panthers initially limited ticket access to U.S. residents only – a move that angered many die-hard Leafs supporters, but may have done little to actually prevent them from showing up.
Weather, Start Time
Fans in Toronto planning to watch the game at the tailgate party in Maple Leaf Square outside Scotiabank Arena can expect cloudy but warm conditions for the rest of the evening.
Toronto saw rain for much of the day, but the wet weather is not expected to continue. The forecast is calling for cloudy skies and temperatures around 11C well into the evening.
The puck is set to drop just after 6:30 p.m. from FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Fla.
With files from the Canadian Press.
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