SUNRISE, Fla. — Florida’s Jonathan Huberdeau had a goal and an assist, surpassing Olli Jokinen for the franchise’s career points lead with 420, and the Panthers beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 8-4 on Sunday night.
Mike Hoffman scored two goals for Florida, and Aleksander Barkov and Vincent Trocheck each had a goal and two assists. Frank Vatrano, Mike Matheson and Josh Brown also scored in the Panthers’ highest scoring game of the season. Brett Connolly had two assists, and Chris Driedger made 43 saves.
The eight goals allowed were the most for Toronto since a 9-2 loss to Nashville on Nov. 18, 2014.
Mitch Marner scored twice for the Maple Leafs, and Zach Hyman had a goal and two assists. John Tavares also scored.
Toronto goaltender Frederik Andersen allowed four goals on 12 shots before he was pulled 49 seconds into the second period. Michael Hutchinson stopped 13 shots.
Marner’s 13th goal got the Maple Leafs within three early in the third. But Hoffman converted a one-timer off a pass from Huberdeau, making it 8-4 with the power-play goal 4:33 into the period.
Toronto had a goal disallowed with 6:49 left in the third due to a high stick by Cody Ceci.
Leading 3-0, the Panthers scored on their first three shots of the second. Matheson chased Andersen 49 seconds into the period. Vatrano’s short-handed goal, a shot from the low slot off a pass from Barkov, made it 5-0 at 2:25.
Hyman flipped in a loose puck from in front to make it 5-1 at 3:30 of the second.
Trocheck’s shot from the top of the right circle beat Hutchinson at 5:46 for a 6-1 lead.
Huberdeau’s goal, a backhanded shot from in front, stretched the Panthers’ lead to 7-1 at 12:38 of the second.
NOTES
Marner has nine goals and 17 assists in 17 games since returning from an ankle injury that sidelined him for 11 games. … Maple Leafs forward Andreas Johnsson returned after missing the past 15 games with a leg injury. … Panthers C Brian Boyle played his 800th NHL game. … Panthers G Sergei Bobrovsky missed the game with an upper-body injury.
UP NEXT:
Maple Leafs: Visit the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday
Panthers: Host the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday
Paul Gereffi, The Associated Press