Maple Leafs clinch playoff spot with victory over Panthers

Mitch Marner scored the goal-ahead goal in the third period and Anthony Stolarz made 29 saves as the Toronto Maple Leafs downed the Florida Panthers 3-2 in a key matchup atop the Atlantic Division standings Wednesday.

John Tavares and Matthew Knies had the other goals for Toronto (46-25-4), which clinched a playoff spot. Marner and Knies added an assist each to register two-point nights.

Marner snapped a 1-1 tie midway through the third after Bobrovsky, who stopped Bobby McMann on a breakaway moments earlier, couldn’t squeeze the initial shot off the stick of Auston Matthews.

Sam Reinhart, with a goal and an assist, and Gustav Forsling replied for Florida (44-27-4). Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 23 shots.

The Leafs stretched their division lead to three points on the Tampa Bay Lightning and are now four up on the Panthers. Tampa has a game in hand.

Florida, which beat Toronto 5-1 at home in November before picking up a 3-2 victory at Scotiabank Arena last month, was minus captain Aleksander Barkov (upper-body injury) after he was hurt in Tuesday’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Canadiens in Montreal.

The Leafs and Panthers play once more in the regular season — Tuesday at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla.