February 26, 2026; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Evan Rodriguez (17) scores against Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Wall (60) during the first period at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Brad Marchand scored twice Thursday night as the Florida Panthers defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-1 in Sunrise, Florida.
Evan Rodriguez added a goal and an assist for the Panthers, who were playing their first game since the Olympic break. Carter Verhaeghe and Matthew Tkachuk also scored. Anton Lundel added two assists and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 28 shots for Florida, which led 1-5-0 heading into the break.
John Tavares scored for the Maple Leafs, who lost their first two games after the break. Joseph Woll had 31 saves.
The Panthers took a 3-0 lead in the first period in a matchup of teams looking to enter playoff contention. Marchand scored from the edge of the crease at 3:18 after Lundell sent the puck toward the net. A turnover by Toronto’s Matthew Knies started the sequence.
A funky bounce on a clearance attempt from the back of the net by Toronto defenseman Troy Stecher helped Verhaeghe score a power-play goal from 20 feet at 5:13. Nicolas Roy left to fall.
Rodrigues scored his first career shorthanded goal on a breakaway at 16:40 after ripping the puck off William Nylander in the neutral zone.
Toronto played with more energy in a scoreless second quarter. Bobrovsky made two big saves in the final two minutes of the period. First the invasion of Nylander, then Simon Benoit.
Tavares scored a power-play goal from the edge of the crease 47 seconds into the third period. Auston Matthews earned his 350th career assist on a pass off the skate of Florida’s Gustav Forsling. Aaron Ekblad was on the receiving end of a roughing penalty.
The Panthers had a goal called back at 9:02 of the third after a video review ruled the play was offsides.
Toronto withstood a Florida power play midway through the third when Woll made a key save.
Marchand made no mistake on his next attempt at 16:51, though he removed Woll for an extra attacker and hit the post.
Tkachuk added another empty-net goal at 18:08.
Florida achieved its first win of the season against Toronto. The Maple Leafs had won their previous two games, and the teams are scheduled to play again in Toronto on April 11.
–Field level media
