TORONTO — Carter Verhaeghe broke a tie with two minutes remaining in the second period and the Florida Panthers defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 in Game 1 of the second-round playoff matchup on Tuesday.
Anthony Duclair took advantage of an overcommitment from Maple Leafs defender TJ Brodie, found Verhaeghe in stride, and the Panthers forward buried the game-winning goal on a partial breakaway.
Nick Cousins, Sam Bennett and Brandon Montour also scored for the Panthers. Toronto's Matthew Knies scored his first career goal on a spectacular between-the-legs move, while Michael Bunting also scored in the second period, briefly tying the game at two apiece.