RECAP: Reinhart's OT winner gives Panthers 3-0 series lead over Toronto

SUNRISE, Fla. -- In overtime, everybody wants to be the hero.

With a sellout crowd cheering him on, Sam Reinhart got to wear the cape in Game 3.

Giving the Panthers a commanding 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Second Round, Reinhart scored at 3:02 of overtime to lift the Panthers to a 3-2 win over the Maple Leafs at FLA Live Arena on Sunday.

"Just gaining that confidence day in, day out, just a little bit more each time," Reinhart said of the surging Panthers, who have won a franchise-record six straight playoff games. "We've had a lot of guys stepping up at big moments. We're all trying to execute the same game plan at the end of the day, and we're just gaining that much more confidence with it in tight situations."

A clutch player during his time in Florida, Reinhart's eight goals since the start of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs are the second-most on the team, trailing only Carter Verhaeghe's 10.

"It was the change of sides that was really impressive," Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said of Reinhart's game-winning tally. "Draw people to you, release and then go to open ice. He does that a lot in the small areas of the game that you almost have to watch on video."

Getting help from their fourth line, the Maple Leafs broke the ice when Sam Lafferty buried a one-timer off a feed from David Kampf on a 2-on-1 rush to make it 1-0 at 2:26 of the first period.

In the second period, Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov was knocked out of the game after teammate Luke Schenn crashed into him after tripping Verhaeghe. In his place, Joseph Woll, who last played during a relief appearance in Round 1 on April 18, came into the game.

Following the game, Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe had no update on Samsonov.

On the ensuing power play from that aforementioned trip, the Panthers pulled even and brought the crowd to its feet when Anthony Duclair collected a stretch pass from Ekblad, zoomed right through the defense and beat Woll on a breakaway with a nifty deke to make it 1-1 at 2:36.

Less than five minutes later, the Maple Leafs snatched the lead back when Erik Gustafsson sent a pass into the slot that went off a defender's stick and past Bobrovsky to make it 2-1 at 7:32.

Rewarded for years and years of squats, Verhaeghe got the game all square again for the Panthers when a shot from Radko Gudas went off his rear end and into the cage make it 2-2 at 12:28.

Weathering a strong push from the Maple Leafs in the third period, Bobrovsky, who extended his franchise-record winning streak in the playoffs to six games, stopped all 11 shots that he faced.

"I thought we were solid defensively," said Bobrovsky, who has allowed just two goals in each of the first three games of the series against Toronto. "We boxed out, we cleaned up in front of the net, and the guys had great blocked shots. All of those little things that nobody sees, we did it."

In overtime, the third line got it done.

After gloving down an outstanding defensive-zone clear from Aaron Ekblad, Reinhart patiently held the blue line before cutting into the offensive zone through a pair of defenders and whipping the puck around the boards to Lundell. Following the trail of the puck, Reinhart then skated behind Toronto's net before taking a pass from Lundell and beating Woll on a wrap-around.

Cue the rats.

"I think everybody dreams when they're a kid of playing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in overtime in their home arena," Lundell said of the unforgettable moment. "It was amazing. I think we had 25 guys who wanted to score the winning goal, and Reino got it. I'm really happy for him."

With one more win, the Panthers can punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since 1996.

CATS QUOTES

"I was able to enter over the blue and Lundy was getting on the ice kind of late. I was able to find him off the bank. He handled it really well and gave me a lot of space underneath. I was just trying to attack the space." - Sam Reinhart on his game-winning goal in overtime

"Just a lot of things going our way. We're going to take it day by day and not look at the past and whether we've won those six games in a row. Just find a way to do the right things day in, day out, the things that make us successful." - Aaron Ekblad on how the Panthers are managing their game in the playoffs

"You have to stay focused, stay humble and be prepared to win the moment. … The building was ready to go. It was so fun to play hockey." - Sergei Bobrovsky on being 3-0 in the series against Toronto

CATS NOTES

• The Panthers lead 3-0 in a series for the second time in franchise history.

• The Panthers secured their fourth comeback win of the postseason.

• Brandon Montour saw a team-high 29 minutes of ice time in Game 3.

• Sergei Bobrovsky went 5-for-5 against high-danger shots, per NaturalStatTrick.com.

• Aaron Ekblad has registered three assists in three games in this series.

• Sam Reinhart has scored in five of 10 games in this year's playoffs.

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Panthers will look to complete their second-round sweep when they host the Maple Leafs at FLA Live Arena for Game 4 on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET.

For tickets, click Video: TOR@FLA, Gm3: Reinhart buries OT goal with wraparound.