"Frankly, this scoreline, especially when it was sitting at 3-1 as the Panthers pulled their goalie with four minutes to play, flattered Florida tonight. While the first couple of minutes were a little shaky with some turnovers from the Leafs and zone time/shot-attempt volume from Florida, the Leafs mostly took over the game once they settled in, with the help of an actual momentum-building power play (what a fun, new concept!). The score could've been a laugher/runaway before the midway point of the second period."
"The Cowan-Roy-Robertson line scored a big goal right at the end of the first period, and Matthew Knies tipped one in (off a Troy Stecher shot), then set one up for Auston Matthews in quick succession early in the second period (a nice drive to the net off the wall + reverse pass for an easy Matthews finish). It was quickly 3-0, with the Leafs up 13-5 in shots at the time, and Toronto could've run it up to 5-0 easily afterward."
Toronto built control after early shakiness and zone pressure from Florida, using a momentum-building power play and balanced scoring to win 4-1. The Cowan-Roy-Robertson line scored late in the first, Matthew Knies tipped in a Stecher shot and then set up Auston Matthews early in the second to make it 3-0 while outshooting Florida 13-5. Toronto generated many additional chances that went unconverted. Florida’s lone goal resulted from a Joseph Woll miscue. Toronto’s penalty kill and defensive five-on-five protection preserved the lead, though more third-period offensive possession would have eased the finish.
Read at Maple Leafs Hotstove
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