Reinhart scores OT winner to give Panthers 3-0 series lead over Leafs

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Eliot J. Schechter / National Hockey League / Getty

The Panthers pushed the Toronto Maple Leafs to the brink of elimination after Sam Reinhart scored the OT winner in Game 3 to give Florida a 3-0 series lead.

Panthers head coach Paul Maurice gushed over the way Reinhart, Florida's third-highest-paid forward, relished his third-line role alongside Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen.

"He's a high-end player that accepts what you might call a third-line role happily, develops two young players with him," Maurice said, according to Bally Sports. "No ego, never once talked about ice time this year. You like those guys to get a payoff."

Reinhart, who's up to five goals in the playoffs, believes his line is thriving due to its chemistry and attention to detail.

"We all think the game relatively similar," Reinhart said. "We've been doing a good job of taking our turn pressing forward. We're all defensive-minded at the end of the day. The more we can push forward and limit their time and space, we're going to create more for ourselves offensively, so I think we've been doing a good job alternating and taking our turn in that aspect."

Carter Verhaeghe and Anthony Duclair scored the first two goals for the Panthers in Sunday's 3-2 victory. Sergei Bobrovsky was stellar once again between the pipes, stopping 22 of 24 shots. The veteran goalie struggled during the regular season, but he owns a .938 save percentage so far in the series.

Verhaeghe offered high praise for Bobrovsky, who owns a 6-1 record in the postseason since taking over for Alex Lyon midway through Round 1.

"He's been unbelievable this whole time," Verhaeghe said. "We're not here if it's not for him. He's an unbelievable goalie. He's such a good guy, too. He comes to the rink and works hard."

The Eastern Conference's No. 8-seeded Panthers are now riding a six-game winning streak in the playoffs after erasing a 3-1 series deficit against the Presidents' Trophy-winning Boston Bruins in Round 1. They're 3-0 in overtime games this postseason, too.

Florida is just one win away from advancing to the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since it went all the way to the Stanley Cup Final in the franchise's third year of existence in 1996.

The Leafs, meanwhile, haven't won a game in Round 2 of the playoffs since 2004. Their star players have disappeared so far against Florida, as Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, and William Nylander have combined for zero goals and four assists in the series.

"It's a team game," Keefe said postgame when asked about Marner's struggles. "We need everybody to find a way to break through here."

Game 4 is set for Wednesday night in Florida.

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