The Florida Panthers started their season off on the right foot with a thrilling comeback victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday night. After falling behind by two goals early in the game, the Panthers rallied back to score four unanswered goals and secure a 4-2 win.
The Maple Leafs got off to a hot start, scoring two goals in the first period to take an early lead. However, the Panthers refused to give up and began to mount their comeback in the second period. Jonathan Huberdeau got the Panthers on the board with a power-play goal midway through the period, cutting the deficit to one.
The Panthers continued to apply pressure in the third period, and it paid off when Aaron Ekblad tied the game with a wrist shot from the point. The Panthers took the lead just minutes later when Carter Verhaeghe scored his first goal as a Panther, giving Florida a 3-2 lead.
The Maple Leafs pulled their goaltender in the final minutes of the game in an attempt to tie it up, but it was to no avail. Patric Hornqvist sealed the victory for the Panthers with an empty-net goal in the final seconds of the game.
The win was a great way for the Panthers to start their season, especially considering they were without star forward Aleksander Barkov, who was out with an injury. The team showed resilience and determination in their comeback, and it bodes well for their season ahead.
The Panthers will look to build on this momentum as they take on the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night. With a strong start to the season under their belt, the Panthers will be looking to make a statement and establish themselves as a contender in the Eastern Conference.
