Maple Leafs Close Out Florida Run Versus Panthers

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February 27, 2018 (2:50 PM)

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"Toronto Maple Leafs 84 pts (39-20-8)
@
Florida Panthers 62 pts (28-25-6)
7:30 p.m. ET
BB&T Center � Sunrise, FL
TV: TSN4
Radio: Sportsnet 590 AM

Season Series/Schedule
Date Game GWG
11/22 TOR 1 @ FLA 2 SO Nick Bjugstad
2/20 FLA 0 @ TOR 1 James van Riemsdyk
2/27 TOR @ FLA
3/28 FLA @ TOR

Team Leaders
Maple Leafs Panthers
Mitch Marner, 53 Points Aleksander Barkov, 58
Auston Matthews, 28 Goals Vincent Trocheck, 24
Gardiner/Marner, 36 Assists Aleksander Barkov, 38

The Toronto Maple Leafs are right back at it tonight after last night's shootout loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Tonight is the third meeting with the Florida Panthers this season and the second within the last week. The two teams have scored just three combined goals in the previous two games.
The Panthers are 9-3-0 over their last 12 games and are holding on to slim playoff hopes. Entering play today, Florida is seven points out of the second wild card spot, but have to jump over three teams to get there. A very tough task to accomplish.
The Maple Leafs are currently two points ahead of the Boston Bruins for second place in the Atlantic Division. The Bruins, who host the Carolina Hurricanes tonight, will be without Patrice Bergeron for at least the next two weeks due to a fractured foot. This could be a chance for the Leafs to put some space between them and Boston for home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
The only change that is expected to the Leafs lineup is Curtis McElhinney getting the start in goal in the second half of games on back-to-back nights. Otherwise, the only other possible move is seeing Connor Carrick draw in for Roman Polak on the their pairing.

Probable Maple Leafs Lineup
FORWARDS
Patrick Marleau - Nazem Kadri - Mitch Marner
Zach Hyman - William Nylander - Kasperi Kapanen
James van Riemsdyk - Tyler Bozak - Connor Brown
Leo Komarov - Tomas Plekanec - Josh Leivo
DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS
Morgan Rielly - Ron Hainsey
Jake Gardiner - Nikita Zaitsev
Travis Dermott - Roman Polak
GOALTENDER
Curtis McElhinney (7-4-0, 2.24 GAA, .932 save %, 2 SO)
INJURY REPORT
LW-Joffrey Lupul (sports hernia) out, C-Auston Matthews (shoulder) out

Probable Panthers Lineup
FORWARDS
Evgenii Dadonov - Aleksander Barkov - Nick Bjugstad
Jonathan Huberdeau - Vincent Trocheck - Radim Vrbata
Jamie McGinn - Jared McCann - Maxim Mamin
Michael Haley - Derek MacKenzie - Colton Sceviour
DEFENSIVE PAIRINGS
Keith Yandle - Aaron Ekblad
Micheal Matheson - Mark Pysyk
MacKenzie Weegar - Alex Petrovic
GOALTENDER
Roberto Luongo (9-7-1, 2.65 GAA, .926 save %, 1 SO)
INJURY REPORT
C-Frank Vatrano (lower-body) out, C-Denis Malgin (lower-body) day-to-day"

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