Pain all around as Leafs lose, Andersen injured

The Toronto Maple Leafs’ “rock” in net might be chipped.

Nothing would upset hopes for a playoff drive more than an injury to Frederik Andersen who departed Monday’s game against the Florida Panthers after a heavy crease collision in the first period. Though down a goal when Andersen was hurt, backup Michael Hutchinson and the rest of the crew blew a 3-1 lead and lost 5-3 in a game of vital importance in the NHL’S Eastern Conference standings.

Two points up on the Cats when they started at SBA, in third place in the Atlantic, the Leafs were knocked all the way out of wild-card contention for the moment.

First bumped in the head by Florida’s Mark Pysyk, Andersen later took the worst of a drive to the net by Frank Vatrano, with Leaf teammate Jake Muzzin accidentally running into him, too. He didn’t return for the second period, with concussion protocol likely enforced, leaving Hutchinson to try and secure the four-pointer.

Mid-season injuries have popped up a couple of times for Andersen, at least once with fatigue as the culprit. But any lengthy time lost with a playoff spot not secure would be costly. Vatrano appeared to apologize to Andersen after the latter took a few moments to get to his feet.

The Leafs scored three after the change, but then gave up two in less than a minute. Hutchinson, who replaced a shaky Andersen in Sunrise, Fla., before the all-star break, then couldn’t track a hard shot off the backboard and out the other side, Mike Hoffman’s blind backhander finding a hole. He heard a few raspberries from the crowd, with general manager Kyle Dubas already feeling public pressure to make another backup part of his trade deadline shopping list the next three weeks.

Kasimir Kaskisuo or rookie Joseph Woll would likely get the call from the AHL’S Toronto Marlies if another goalie is needed Wednesday in New York, perhaps Woll if it’s just for practice on Tuesday.

The Panthers took until 11:20 of the opening period to get their first shot as opposed to nine by the Leafs, but the visitors made it 1-0 anyway on their second stab. With Tyson Barrie trying to skate off a painful shot block, Mike Matheson found fellow defenceman Pysyk in front. Andersen quickly redeemed himself with a down and out glove save on Jonathan Huberdeau.

With Andersen out, the Leafs cranked it up and scored on the power play, John Tavares tipping in his 19th.

Later, Kasperi Kapanen saw William Nylander on goalie Sergei Bobrovsky’s doorstep, and Nylander scored his 25th goal just two ticks after Jayce Hawryluk exited the penalty box. Nylander was made aware that the “family record” is in reach, father Michael’s 26 with the 2006-07 Rangers, with Nylander and the Leafs now headed there.

Auston Matthews reached the 37-goal mark, set up by linemates Zach Hyman and Mitch Marner, the latter’s second assist of the night. But with Marner off, Pysyk scored and Huberdeau tied it. The Leafs barely gave the Cats 20 shots on net, with Pysyk stealing the puck from Marner to collect his hat trick in an empty net.

The Panthers clearly missed leading scorer Aleksander Barkov, but it was a milestone night for one-time Leaf defenceman Anton Stralman, his 800th NHL game, back where he started.