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The Florida Panthers (29-25-3) square off against the Toronto Maple Leafs (27-22-9) at Amerant Bank Arena on Thursday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+, with both teams fresh off of a loss. The Panthers were defeated by the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-1 in their last outing, while the Maple Leafs are coming off a 4-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
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Ahead of this matchup, here is who we project to take home the victory in Thursday's hockey action.
During the last 10 contests for the Maple Leafs, their offense has scored 27 goals while their defense has conceded 35 (they have a 3-6-1 record in those games). In 17 power-play opportunities during that time, they have scored six goals (35.3% conversion rate).
Panthers vs. Maple Leafs Predictions for Thursday
Our computer projection model for this encounter expects a final result of Panthers 4, Maple Leafs 3.
- Moneyline Pick: Panthers (-154)
- Total Pick: Over 6 (computer predicts 6.5 goals on average)
- Spread Pick: Pick Em
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Panthers Splits and Trends
- The Panthers have finished 6-3-9 in overtime matchups as part of an overall record of 29-25-3.
- Florida has 26 points (12-3-2) in the 17 games it has played that were decided by one goal.
- The 14 times this season the Panthers finished a game with only one goal, they went 2-11-1 (five points).
- Florida has taken six points from the 10 games this season when it scored two goals (2-6-2 record).
- The Panthers have scored more than two goals 32 times, and are 25-7-0 in those games (to record 50 points).
- In the 21 games when Florida has capitalized on a single power-play goal, it went 11-9-1 to record 23 points.
- In the 38 games when it outshot its opponent, Florida is 18-17-3 (39 points).
- The Panthers have been outshot by opponents in 19 games, going 11-8-0 to register 22 points.
Maple Leafs Splits and Trends
- The Maple Leafs (27-22-9 overall) have posted a record of 8-9-17 in matchups that have gone to OT this season.
- Toronto has earned 30 points (11-3-8) in its 22 games that finished with a one-goal margin.
- This season the Maple Leafs recorded only one goal in five games and they've earned two points (0-3-2) in those contests.
- When Toronto has scored exactly two goals this season, they've earned 13 points (5-7-3 record).
- The Maple Leafs have scored at least three goals in 37 games, earning 48 points from those contests.
- This season, Toronto has capitalized on a lone power-play goal in 18 games has a record of 6-8-4 in those matchups.
- When outshooting its opponent this season, Toronto is 6-7-1 (13 points).
- The Maple Leafs have been outshot by opponents in 42 games, going 19-15-8 to record 46 points.
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Team Stats Comparison
| Panthers Rank | Panthers AVG | Maple Leafs AVG | Maple Leafs Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19th | 2.98 | Goals Scored | 3.26 | 13th |
| 25th | 3.33 | Goals Allowed | 3.4 | 27th |
| 7th | 29 | Shots | 27.4 | 19th |
| 4th | 25.6 | Shots Allowed | 31.7 | 32nd |
| 21st | 19.05% | Power Play % | 19.26% | 19th |
| 7th | 82.59% | Penalty Kill % | 84.14% | 3rd |
Panthers vs. Maple Leafs Game Time and TV Channel
- When: Thursday, February 26, 2026 at 7 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ESPN+
- Live Stream: Watch this game on ESPN+
- Where: Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida
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