Panthers Rally in Overtime to Edge Maple Leafs 5-4 in Game 3

SUNRISE, Fla. — Brad Marchand scored at 15:27 of overtime, leading the Florida Panthers to a thrilling 5-4 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Second Round on Friday night.

The overtime goal was a pivotal moment for Florida, who had previously faced a 3-1 deficit during the game. Marchand’s shot, originating from the left circle, deflected off a Maple Leafs defender before finding the net, reducing Toronto’s series lead to 2-1.

“It obviously felt good for the group,” Marchand said after the game. “We battled back from a couple of two-goal deficits and we just competed the way we know we can.”

The Maple Leafs started strong, with Matthew Knies scoring just 23 seconds into the game, marking the fastest playoff goal in franchise history since 1962. John Tavares quickly followed with another goal, giving Toronto a 2-0 lead.

Florida, however, answered back with persistence. Aleksander Barkov cut the lead to 2-1 before Tavares responded with a power-play goal, extending the Maple Leafs’ advantage to 3-1 in the second period.

But the Panthers were relentless. Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe each scored in the second period, tying the game at 3-3. Jonah Gadjovich put Florida ahead at 15:07, successfully redirecting a shot to make it 4-3.

Despite the setbacks, the Maple Leafs tied the game once again when Morgan Rielly scored in the third period. “It was a close game. Both teams played hard, and we expected it to be competitive,” Rielly commented.

Toronto’s goalie, Joseph Woll, made 31 saves in the losing effort. Meanwhile, Sergei Bobrovsky, the Panthers’ netminder, recorded 27 stops, demonstrating his resilience after a shaky start to the series.

Game 4 of the series is scheduled for Sunday at 7:30 p.m. ET, as both teams look to gain momentum in this tightly contested playoff series.