Music: {allcanada} Panthers, Thomas cool off Maple Leafs

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

{allcanada} Panthers, Thomas cool off Maple Leafs

The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2 - Justin Timberlake

SUNRISE, Fla. -- The Florida Panthers returned home with a strong all-round effort and cooled down the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday.

Four Panthers scored in a 4-1 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs at BB&T Center.

Tom Gilbert, Jesse Winchester, Shawn Matthias and Marcel Goc had the goals for the Panthers, who were coming off a four-game road trip that ended with three losses, including 6-3 at Toronto on Thursday.

Florida was outscored 16-6 during its three-game slide, which included losses against the Boston Bruins and Columbus Blue Jackets.

Tim Thomas finished with 20 saves and was within 10:29 of Florida's first shutout of the season. Brian Campbell had two assists.

Thomas, who didn't play in either of the first two games against Toronto, was 2-5-0 with a 3.70 goals-against average over his past seven starts, having allowed at least three goals in each.

David Clarkson, back in the Maple Leafs lineup after missing eight games with an elbow injury, scored. Nazem Kadri extended his point streak to six games (three goals, seven assists) with an assist.

Toronto was 10-1-1 in its previous 12 games.

Thomas and the Panthers were able to shut out Phil Kessel, who came in with nine points in his previous four games and on Monday was named the NHL's second star for the month of January and for the games of last week.

Jonathan Bernier made 44 saves and was the reason the Maple Leafs trailed only 1-0 getting outshot 37-12 in the first two periods.

Florida has won two of three meetings this season, with the final game scheduled for April 10 here. The Panthers won 3-1 at Air Canada Centre on Dec. 17.

The Panthers, who came in 14th in the Eastern Conference standings, dominated from the start. Florida held Toronto without a shot for the first 7:19 and ended with a 19-4 shot advantage in the first period, the Maple Leafs' worst single-period differential this season.

Gilbert opened the scoring at 1:14 of the second period with Florida's second goal in 53 power-play opportunities. He scored his third goal of the season with a slap shot from the point that barely missed teammate Scottie Upshall, who was standing in front of Bernier.

The Panthers had two breakaways in the second period, but Bernier stopped Jonathan Huberdeau's deke attempt and Upshall's wrist shot.

Winchester made it 2-0 at 5:21 of the third period when he tipped a wrist shot from Campbell that appeared to bounce off Toronto defenseman Tim Gleason.

Clarkson scored his fourth goal of the season after Kadri stole the puck from Tomas Kopecky at the Florida blue line. Kadri skated in deep before dropping a pass to Clarkson, who beat Thomas with a low shot to the stick side.

Matthias restored Florida's two-goal lead at 13:22 after stealing the puck from defenseman Cody Franson at center ice. Matthias beat Bernier with a wrist shot low to the stick side.

Goc scored an empty-net goal with 2:30 left.

The 20/20 Experience – 2 of 2 - Justin Timberlake