Panthers In Toronto Looking For Third Straight Win
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TORONTO (CBSMiami/SportsDirect) – The Florida Panthers may finally be getting their season on track.
Winners of back-to-back games for the first time since starting the season 2-0-0 and buoyed by consecutive overtime victories, the Panthers continue their four-game road trip with a visit to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night.
The Panthers posted a 4-3 win at Montreal on Tuesday, ending the Canadiens' perfect 10-0-0 start at home.
A familiar face will be in net for Florida on Thursday as former Maple Leafs goaltender James Reimer will get the nod against his ex-teammates.
Not only did the Panthers end Montreal's unblemished record at home, but they halted goaltender Carey Price's 13-game winning streak dating back to last season.
Florida cannot afford a letdown against the youthful Maple Leafs, who improved to 6-2-0 at home with a 6-2 drubbing of Nashville on Tuesday.
"It's so different, we have so many different faces in here, but I really love the way the team is looking now," Toronto center Tyler Bozak said.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSN Florida, TSN4 (Toronto), NHL.TV
ABOUT THE PANTHERS (8-7-1): Reimer, dealt by the Maple Leafs to San Jose at least season's trade deadline, backed up Roberto Luongo when Florida visited Toronto on Oct. 27 -- a 3-2 loss -- and acknowledged that it was nostalgic to be back in the arena where he played for 5 1/2 seasons.
"Obviously we had our ups and downs and what not, but a lot of good memories and Toronto's a special place to me," Reimer said at the time.
He carries a 2-2-1 mark and 2.72 goals-against average into his sixth start of the season.
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (7-6-3): James van Riemsdyk sparked the rout of Nashville with his second career hat trick and added an assist to cap an 11-point night with linemates Bozak and rookie Mitch Marner.
The 19-year-old Marner scored one goal and set up two others Tuesday to give him multiple points in four of his last six games.
"He's good with his body position to come up with pucks and obviously he's got a good stick, too," van Riemsdyk said. "He's tenacious and doesn't back down from going into dirty areas."
OVERTIME
- The Panthers acquired C Michael Sgarbossa from Anaheim for F Logan Shaw on Wednesday.
- Maple Leafs C Auston Matthews, this year's No. 1 overall draft pick, is mired in a 10-game goalless drought.
- Panthers F Seth Griffith, claimed off waivers from Toronto last week, had an assist in his Florida debut.
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