The Florida Panthers will look to build off an impressive victory over the league’s best team when they kick off their longest road trip of the season on Tuesday night. Florida took down the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday night in Sunrise, handing the Avs just their third regulation loss of the season. Now the Cats will aim to keep the good times rolling against a familiar foe in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Both Florida and Toronto enter play on Tuesday sitting on the outside of the playoff picture looking in. The Panthers are currently the first team out of a playoff spot, two points behind Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, who hold both Wild Card spots with the same 49-point totals, and five points behind Montreal for third place in the Atlantic Division with a game in hand. Toronto is only two points behind the Panthers but also have four less regulation wins. The captain and leading goal-scorer for the Maple Leafs, Auston Matthews, has been on a tear of late. He’s scored five goals on 11 shots over his past two games and has racked up six goals and 10 points on 25 shots over his past four games. The problem for the Maple Leafs hasn’t been so much with scoring goals, but keeping them out of their own net. So far this season, Toronto is allowing the fourth-most goals per game at 3.34, and over their past 11 games since mid-December that number jumps to nearly four goals per game at 3.81, and there’s a shutout win mixed in with those games! Florida will be playing the next several games without defenseman Seth Jones after he was injured during the Cats’ Winter Classic loss on Friday. Jones took a deflected puck to the neck/collarbone area and is considered week-to-week with the upper-body injury, though he’s expected back before the NHL breaks for the Winter Olympics early next month. Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Tuesday’s tussle with Toronto: Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Sam Reinhart Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Brad Marchand Mackie Samoskevich – Evan Rodrigues – A.J. Greer Jesper Boqvist – Luke Kunin – Jack Studnicka Gus Forsling – Aaron Ekblad Niko Mikkola – Uvis Balinskis Donovan Sebrango – Jeff Petry LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA Seth Jones considered week-to-week, expected back with Panthers before NHL breaks for Winter Olympics [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/seth-jones-considered-week-to-week-expected-back-with-panthers-before-nhl-breaks-for-winter-olympics] Panthers' Jonah Gadjovich Returns To Practice; Cole Schwindt Ditches The Non-Contact Jersey [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/panthers-jonah-gadjovich-returns-to-practice-cole-schwindt-ditches-the-non-contact-jersey] Matthew Tkachuk nearing return, will travel with Panthers on upcoming road trip [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/matthew-tkachuk-nearing-return-will-travel-with-panthers-on-upcoming-road-trip] Tarasov, Panthers shut down Colorado, hand Avalanche third regulation loss of season [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/game-day/tarasov-panthers-shut-down-colorado-hand-avalanche-third-regulation-loss-of-season#google_vignette] The Hockey Show: Winter Classic reaction, from the game to everything else [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/game-day/the-hockey-show-winter-classic-reaction-from-the-game-to-everything-else#google_vignette] Photo caption: Dec 2, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs left wing Matthew Knies (23) attempts to deflect the puck as Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell (15) and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) defend during the second period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
