Tavares scores 4 goals as Maple Leafs beat Panthers

John Tavares had his first career four-goal game to reach a career-best 45 for
the season as the Toronto Maple Leafs held on to defeat the visiting Florida
Panthers 7-5 Monday night.

Zach Hyman added a goal and two assists while Patrick Marleau and Jake Muzzin
also scored for the Maple Leafs. Mitch Marner added three assists and William
Nylander had two assists.

Frederik Andersen made 31 saves for the Maple Leafs.

Jayce Hawryluk had two goals and an assist and Jonathan Huberdeau added two
goals while Mike Matheson scored once for the Panthers. Mike Hoffman and
Evgenii Dadonov each had two assists.

Panthers goaltender Sam Montembeault allowed two goals on four shots by 4:21
of the first period and was replaced by Roberto Luongo, who allowed five goals
on 33 shots.

Marleau scored his 16th this season on a shot from the bottom of the left
circle at 2:06 of the first period on a pass from Nazem Kadri. Kasperi Kapanen
started the play when he gathered a rebound of a Panthers shot, skated down
the right side and passed to Kadri.

Muzzin scored his ninth of the season on a slap shot from the left point at
4:21 of the first.

Tavares scored on a power play at 11:05 of the first when his between-the-legs
shot was inadvertently knocked in by Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad. Josh
Brown was serving a slashing penalty.

Hawryluk scored at 13:23 of the first on a deflection of a spin-around pass
from Hoffman.

Tavares restored the three-goal lead at 15:04 on a pass from Zach Hyman.

Matheson cut the lead to 4-2 at 16:25 of the first with his eighth of the
season, a wrist shot through from the left point.

Tavares scored his third of the game -- for his 10th career hat trick -- at
5:51 of the second from the slot on Morgan Rielly's rebound.

Tavares knocked in a rebound from the slot a 3:57 of the third period for his
fourth of the game. He has a career-best 86 points for the season.

Huberdeau scored his first of the game at 5:34 of the third. Hyman scored his
20th at 6:51. Huberdeau scored his 25th at 13:36.

Hawryluk scored his seventh of the season at 17:36.

--Field Level Media