Reimer injured in disappointing loss

Playoff elimination is all but a certainty

TORONTO — Panthers veteran Jussi Jokinen was part of a leadership group who called for a players-only meeting Tuesday morning to discuss the team’s disappointing effort in Monday’s loss to the Buffalo Sabres, especially on the heels of Saturday’s rout of the Western Conference-leading Chicago Blackhawks.

Then before the evening’s game against the young, speedy Maple Leafs, Panthers interim coach Tom Rowe issued a warning to his core of young players who were given long-term contracts over the past few seasons.

“Just because guys have contracts doesn’t mean they can’t get traded, either,” said Rowe, also the general manager. “They got to perform. [Monday] night was unacceptable. We beat Chicago 7-0 playing good, then we go into Buffalo for a very, very big game and we come up with a 4-2 loss and they didn’t compete the way they were supposed to.

“At the end of the day, contracts are great. We did it for salary-cap reasons, but it doesn’t mean guys are going to retire [with the Panthers] if they keep playing like they did.”

Well, sometimes talent trumps talk, and the Maple

Leafs hammered another nail into the Panthers’ slim playoff chances in a 3-2 defeat amid a party-like atmosphere at Air Canada Centre.

As if the season couldn’t get any worse, Panthers goalie James Reimer took a shoulder in the head from Brian Boyle and was forced from the game with 8:53 remaining in the second period. Colton Sceviour immediately stepped in to fight Boyle while Reimer slowly skated to the dressing room.

Reimer, who has a history of concussions during his six seasons with the Leafs, was replaced by Reto Berra with the Panthers down 2-0.

Reimer’s uncertain status could accelerate the return of Roberto Luongo; Rowe said earlier that the 37-year-old might play on this road trip.

Rowe then added that Reimer, 29, who has four years remaining on his deal, is “probably going to be our No. 1 goalie in a few years.” Luongo, who hasn’t played since March 2 with a core issue, has six years remaining on his deal.

The Panthers showed life after that and cut the deficit to 2-1 after two as Keith Yandle sent a long pass to a streaking Reilly Smith for a chip-in, his 14th, at 15:31.

Former Panthers prospect Zach Hyman delivered the knockout blow at 3:32 of the third on a shorthanded goal, his 10th of his rookie season.

With the net empty plus a Toronto penalty, the Panthers had a 6-on-4 with 1:08 left, and Jaromir Jagr made it 3-2 on a rebound, his 15th, with 56 seconds left, but that was as close as Florida would get.

The Panthers couldn’t take advantage of Toronto’s struggling backup goalie, Curtis McElhinney (24 saves), forced into action after starter Frederik Andersen left Saturday’s loss to the Sabres with a reported jaw injury.

While the Leafs (87 points) inch closer to securing their first playoff berth since 2012-13, the Panthers (77 points) drew closer to elimination. Now 0-2 on this must-sweep four-game road trip and losers of 13 of 18, Florida trails Boston (86) by nine points with six games remaining. Even if the Panthers ran the table for 89 points, the Bruins, Saturday’s opponent, could go 1-4-1 and still finish ahead of them for the wild card.

After 10 minutes of smothering defense from both sides, the Leafs’ rookie top line made it 1-0 at 11:54. William Nylander, 20, fed Hyman, 24 — the Panthers’ fifth-round pick in 2010, whom they nurtured for four seasons in development camp before trading him to Toronto for current Lightning forward Greg McKegg — snuck a pass through the legs of an unsuspecting Yandle.

Then Auston Matthews, the No. 1 overall draft pick last June, deposited a softie past a surprised Reimer for his 35th goal, to lead all NHL rookies while also setting a franchise record for most goals by a rookie in a season, surpassing Wendel Clark’s 34 in 1985-86. Nylander extended his franchise rookie record point streak to 12 games.

The Leafs then broke out on a 2-on-1 rush with rookie defenseman Mike Matheson a helpless bystander as Connor Brown set up Leo Komarov for a blast and 2-0 lead after one, in which Toronto outshot Florida 13-3.

Rowe told his team before the game to be ready because the Leafs, whom he referred to as the Blackhawks in the making, would remember Florida’s 7-2 beatdown in Sunrise two weeks ago.

So much for meetings, pep talks and warnings.

FRANK GUNN/AP Panthers center Aleksander Barkov looks for an opening as Maple Leafs goalie Curtis McElhinney challenges his during the first period in Toronto.