Music: {allcanada} Panthers rally by Maple Leafs with four goals in third

Sunday, December 28, 2014

{allcanada} Panthers rally by Maple Leafs with four goals in third

Fuse (Deluxe Version) - Keith Urban / Blown Away - Carrie Underwood

SUNRISE, Fla. -- The Florida Panthers overcame a two-goal deficit in the third period on their way to a 6-4 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs at BB&T Center on Sunday.

Brad Boyes scored the game-winning goal with a little more than three minutes left to cap the comeback.

Toronto led 4-2 entering the third period. After a scoreless first period, the Maple Leafs and Panthers combined for six goals in the second.

Toronto right wing Richard Panik opened the scoring at 6:39. He grabbed the puck off the boards near the Maple Leafs bench, came all the way down to deep into the Panthers zone, and beat Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo short side for his seventh goal.

Panthers center Jonathan Huberdeau scored his fourth goal to tie the game at 8:24. Seconds after Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad's shot from the point hit the post, Huberdeau pounced on a turnover in the Maple Leafs zone, then came in alone on James Reimer and sent a high wrist shot over the Toronto goalie's right shoulder.

Florida right wing Jimmy Hayes gave Florida the 2-1 lead less than two minutes later. He scored his 10th goal after taking a pass on a 3-on-2 from left wing Sean Bergenheim.

With 5:44 left in the second period, Toronto defenseman Roman Polak took a long pass from right wing Joffrey Lupul and put a wrist shot past Luongo, who was sliding to his right, for his fourth goal. Lupul's assist was his 400th career point.

Left wing James van Riemsdyk gave the Maple Leafs the 3-2 lead with 2:30 left in the second period on a power play. Center Tyler Bozak put the puck in front of the Panthers net, where van Riemsdyk got his stick on it and shot it over Luongo's extended right leg.

Toronto center Nazem Kadri put the Maple Leafs up 4-2 with 1:01 left in the second period. Lupul came streaking down the left wing and put the puck in front of the Florida net. Kadri came straight in and beat Luongo glove side.

Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov scored his first goal of the season on a one-timer to cut the lead to 4-3 when he was left alone at the point with a lot of space.

Boyes put Florida ahead 5-4 on a tip-in at 16:45 for his sixth goal. Scottie Upshall scored an empty-net goal with 1:25 left.

Luongo made 13 saves to earn the win.

Reimer made 28 saves on 33 shots. He started for Toronto after Jonathan Bernier was scratched with what the Maple Leafs called a flu-like illness.

Toronto recalled goaltender Christopher Gibson from the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League to back up Reimer. To make room for Gibson, the Maple Leafs placed forward Leo Komarov on injured reserve retroactive to Nov. 29. Komarov, who sustained a concussion in Toronto's Nov. 29 game against the Washington Capitals, returned to practice Saturday.

The Maple Leafs said Bernier was not showing signs of the mumps.

Toronto right wing Carter Ashton made his return to the lineup after serving a 20-game suspension for a positive test for performance-enhancing drugs. Ashton was sent down to the Marlies on Dec. 19 on a conditioning assignment before being recalled Saturday.

Crash My Party - Luke Bryan / Night Train - Jason Aldean