May 12 (UPI) -- Sergei Bobrovsky utilized the threads of his glove and every inch of his pads to deny a shower of shots in a Florida Panthers shutout of the Toronto Maple Leafs, tying the second-round playoff series at 2-2.
The Panthers goalie logged 23 saves in the 2-0 triumph Sunday in Sunrise, Fla. He picked up the fifth career playoff shutout. Forwards Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett scored for the Panthers.
Defenseman Aaron Ekblad and forwards Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk assisted the scores.
"The guys were outstanding," Bobrovsky told reporters. "They've worked hard all series. [This] was the game everything came together. Guys worked hard, blocked shots and we got good bounces our way."
The Panthers outshot the Maple Leafs 37-23, including a 29-12 edge through the first two periods. They also held an 8-3 edge in takeaways in the Game 4 win. Game 5 will be Wednesday in Toronto.
"We are excited about the series coming down to best-of-three," Bobrovsky said. "So it's a big game, next one."
Bobrovsky clouded the crease early on, allowing the Panthers offense to snatch momentum on Verhaeghe's score with 4:14 remaining in the first period.
That score came during a power play. Barkov collected a rebound of a shot from defenseman Seth Jones along the left boards and sent a quick pass to Tkachuk. The Panthers star immediately fired the puck toward the far post, finding Verhaeghe for a one-timer past Joseph Woll for a 1-0 lead.
Neither team scored in the second period. Bennett beat Woll a second time with 7:51 remaining in regulation. Ekblad started that play by forcing a turnover and sending the puck ahead for Bennett along the right boards. The Panthers forward gained control on the rush and pulled the puck back in front of the crease, making Woll fall on his backside.
He finished the play with a wrist shot inside the left post.
Woll made 35 saves in the loss. The Maples Leafs will host the defending Stanley Cup champions in Game 5 at 7 p.m. EDT Wednesday in Toronto.
Game 6 will be Friday in Sunrise. Game 7, if necessary, will be Sunday in Toronto.
