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Tavares scores late in OT as Maple Leafs edge Panthers 2-1

Apr 10, 2023 | 8:12 PM

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — John Tavares scored with 21.3 seconds remaining in overtime and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat Florida 2-1 on Monday night to snap the Panthers’ six-game winning streak.

Auston Matthews also scored for Toronto, netting his 40th of the season. Ilya Samsonov made 45 saves.

Brandon Montour scored for Florida and tied the franchise record for goals by a defenceman in a season with his 16th. Goalie Alex Lyon made 23 saves and lost for the first time in seven straight starts in place of Sergei Bobrovsky.

The Panthers managed to gain a point and moved closer to a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Florida has gone 6-0-1 since losing in Ottawa on March 27.

After a scoreless opening 37-plus minutes, the Maple Leafs took a 1-0 lead when Matthews deflected a long shot by Mitch Marner with 2:13 remaining in the second period.

The Panthers tied the score midway through the third when Montour scored on a feed from Carter Verhaeghe.

UP NEXT

Maple Leafs: At Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night.

Panthers: Host Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

George Richards, The Associated Press