Sergei Bobrovsky, Florida Panthers notch shutout in Game 3 - ESPN

SUNRISE, Fla. — It's a formula the Florida Panthers keep using in the playoffs: Take a lead after two periods, then let Sergei Bobrovsky and the defense do the rest. And it worked again.

Bobrovsky stopped 23 shots for his fifth career playoff shutout, Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett scored and the Panthers defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-0 on Sunday night in Game 4 to even the Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Florida has won 25 consecutive playoff games when leading after two periods, a streak that goes back to May 5, 2022. And in helping to tie the series, Bobrovsky officially put a slow start to rest. In Games 1 and 2 last week in Toronto, he allowed nine goals en route to two losses. He returned to Amerant Bank Arena on Friday night for Game 3, and allowed four more.

«It's a series,» Bobrovsky said. «The bigger games are ahead, so we're excited about them. The series comes down to a best-of-three, so it's a big game, next one.»

Home-ice advantage has held, and Toronto will hope that trend continues in Game 5 on Wednesday night. The Leafs won Games 1 and 2 at home, then dropped Games 3 and 4 in Sunrise.

«We had looks,» Toronto coach Craig Berube said. «They're doing a good job of swarming us with numbers, obviously.… It's a battle out there. This is what it is. They don't give you a lot.»

Verhaeghe scored on a power play — Florida's fourth of the game — in the first period, Bennett added the insurance score with 7:50 left and Bobrovsky did the rest for his second shutout of this postseason.

Joseph Woll stopped 35 shots for the Maple Leafs. «He was great,» Berube said of his netminder. «He played an excellent game.»

Verhaeghe's goal came after Matthew Tkachuk, along the left-wing boards, threaded a pass through