Leafs score big win over Panthers

Matthews shatters franchise rookie record

TORONTO — Auston Matthews had a record-breaking night and the Toronto Maple Leafs scored a huge two points as they continue to push for the post-season.

Matthews broke Wendel Clark’s 31-year-old franchise rookie record with his 35th goal of the season, the Leafs prevailing 3-2 over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night.

The victory kept Toronto (87 points) one point up on the Boston Bruins (86) for the third playoff spot in the Atlantic division and now four up on the Tampa Bay Lightning (83.)

Curtis McElhinney made 24 saves to earn the win for the Leafs (36-2415,) Leo Komarov and Zach Hyman also finding the back of the net.

James Reimer gave up two goals on 14 shots for Florida (33-32-11) before he was knocked from the game with injury and replaced by Reto Berra, who made 10 saves. Reilly Smith and Jaromir Jagr both scored.

Starting in place of injured No. 1 goaltender Frederik Andersen, McElhinney was under the biggest microscope in Toronto heading into the evening, but Matthews quickly wiped that away with his record-setting marker nearly 12 minutes in.

Hyman instigated the action, controlling the puck from behind the Florida goal before finding Matthews in front, his shot slipping between the pads of Reimer to best Clark for the franchise mark.

Clark said he knew after the second period of Matthews historic NHL debut against Ottawa — when he scored four goals, including three after less than 22 minutes — that Matthews would likely shatter his record from the 1985-86 season.

“It’s good,” said Clark, who works as a community representative of the Leafs. “If we’re going to be any good we need these young guys breaking all (these records) and doing well.”

Mitch Marner recently equalled Gus Bodnar’s franchise rookie mark for assists (40,) William Nylander matching team rookie records for power-play goals (9) and power-play points (25) while also establishing a new rookie mark for the team with a point streak that was extended to 12 games on Tuesday night.

Matthews joined Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby as the only rookies since the 1995-96 season to scored 35 goals.

Clark compared him to former Leafs captain and franchise leading scorer, Mats Sundin. Just like Sundin, Clark said, Matthews could be dangerous all by himself, but also gifted in finding teammates for open looks.

He said Matthews had a “goalscorer’s touch” and the “hands of a little guy”, his strength also likely to grow in the years ahead.

Matthews also increased his NHL lead for game-opening goals — now with 14 on the year — and pulled to within four points of Peter Ihnacak’s franchise rookie mark for points (66,) set during the 1982-83 season.

The Leafs controlled almost every aspect of the first frame, outshooting the Panthers 13-3 while spending shift after shift in Florida’s zone. Komarov increased Toronto’s lead to 2-0 less than three minutes after Matthews’s goal, finishing a twoon-one opportunity with Connor Brown.

Falling out of the playoff race in recent weeks, Florida found some pushback in the opening minutes of the second, but McElhinney was sharp. He stopped Jussi Jokinen and Reilly Smith on consecutive chances around the midway point of the period.

The 33-year-old was starting with Andersen missing his first game due to mysterious upper injury suffered Saturday in Buffalo when he was bumped in the head by Sabres forward William Carrier.

It was a similar play that knocked Reimer — Toronto’s long-time starterbeforeAndersen—fromTuesday’s game, Brian Boyle clipping him as he circled the net. Reimer stayed down in apparent discomfort immediately afterward as Boyle fought Colton Sceviour. He finally helped to a sitting position by a team trainer and left the ice with a persistent grimace on his face.

Smith got the Panthers on the board with less than five minutes left in the second, beating Matthews to the net as he redirected a Keith Yandle point pass.

McElhinney made two big saves early in the third to keep the Leafs in front, the latter a right pad stop on Aleksander Barkov. It was shortly after, that Hyman scored a shorthanded goal that increased the Toronto lead back to two.