The game had a playoff feel with first place in the Atlantic Division at stake and had some chippy moments. Florida is first, four points ahead of Toronto after the victory.

Sam Bennett scored power-play goals late in each of the first two periods, Sergei Bobrovsky made 23 saves and the short-handed Florida Panthers beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 on Thursday night for their seventh victory in eight games.

The game marks the first of three meetings between the Maple Leafs and Panthers in the final five weeks of the season. They'll face each other again in Toronto on April 2 followed by a matchup six days later at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla.

Florida Panthers right wing Mackie Samoskevich (25), Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Alex Nylander (92) and right wing William Nylander (88) go for the puck during the third period of an NHL hockey game, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) AP

The protagonist, it turned out, was Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who earned a place in NHL history. He recorded his 424th career victory as the Panthers defeated the Maple Leafs 3-2. The win moved Bobrovsky into sole possession of 10th place on the league’s all-time wins list, surpassing Hall of Famer Tony Esposito.

The Florida Panthers are a difficult team to beat. Even without Matthew Tkachuk, new acquisition Brad Marchand, and Aaron Ekblad, the Panthers won 3-2 on Thursday in Toronto. They also showed why they'll be a tough out once the playoffs roll around.

Sam Bennett scored power-play goals late in each of the first two periods, Sergei Bobrovsky made 23 saves and the short-handed Florida Panthers beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 on Thursday night for their seventh victory in eight games.

Sam Bennett scored two power-play goals as the visiting Florida Panthers defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 on Thursday night.