Lupul leads Maple Leafs past Panthers, 3-2

[March 27, 2013]  TORONTO (AP) -- Joffrey Lupul scored twice in the third period, and Ben Scrivens made 40 saves in the Toronto Maple Leafs' 3-2 victory over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night.

Lupul scored on a power play 22 seconds into the third to put Toronto ahead 2-1. Florida tied it 23 seconds later when Shawn Matthias banked in the puck off Leafs defenseman Mike Kostka, and Lupul brought the Air Canada Centre crowd to its feet again at 3:12 with his second of the game.

Lupul has six goals in four games since returning from a broken forearm. He also scored Monday night in a 3-2 shootout loss at Boston, giving him three goals in two games since returning from a two-game suspension.

Scrivens preserved the one-goal lead with a glove save off Tyson Strachan with 7:15 left.

Dion Phaneuf also scored for Toronto (18-12-4), which played its third game in four nights. The Leafs return to action Thursday night at home against Carolina.

Toronto improved to 9-6-2 at home to remain sixth in the Eastern Conference with 40 points, two behind fifth-place Ottawa.

Tomas Fleischmann also scored for Florida (9-19-6), which was coming off a 3-0 loss at the New York Islanders on Sunday night. The Panthers, last in the Eastern Conference, suffered their third straight loss concluding a five-game trip.

NOTES: Scrivens stopped 37 shots in Toronto's 3-0 win at Florida on Feb. 18. ... Toronto entered the game leading the NHL in hits (1,075), blocked shots (553) and fighting majors (33).

[Associated Press]

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