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  • Posted January 9, 2020
    TORONTO -- Randy Carlyle called Nazem Kadris performance Thursday night the best hes seen in a long time. Evgenii Dadonov Jersey . Kadri had three assists extending his point streak to four games as the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Florida Panthers 6-3. Nikolai Kulemin one-timed a Kadri feed at the four-minute mark of the third period for the game-winner. The assist was Kadris 100th career N.H.L. point. "Its a great achievement for myself, but hopefully theres a lot more to come," said Kadri, who has two goals and five assists on his current point steak. "You got to think to yourself when the points are coming easy, its just not all about that, you got to make sure youre good in your D zone, bearing down on face-offs and just allow the coaching staff to put you on the ice in those crucial situations." With the Leafs trailing 2-0 in the first, Kadri set up Cody Franson at 16:49 to get Torontos comeback rolling. Then with the Leafs leading 4-2 in the third, the 23-year-old London, Ont. native set up Joffrey Lupul at 6:22, on a power play, for the insurance marker. "Nazy was a difference maker tonight," said Carlyle. "Thats probably the best game hes played in a long time and at both ends of the rink obviously with the points and distributing the puck, that was making some big league plays." Toronto (29-21-6) also got goals from Mason Raymond, James van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak as they extended their win streak on home ice to five games. Florida (21-26-7) got first period goals from Nick Bjugstad and Sean Bergenheim. Dmitry Kulikov had the other Panthers goal. "When a team comes out after theyve lost the period, theyre probably getting some bad words from the coach," said Kulikov. "We knew they were going to come out strong in the second period and we didnt handle it." Scott Clemmensen made 26 saves for his fifth loss of the season. Jonathan Bernier made 35 saves in the win. Toronto won five in a row on home ice from Oct. 22 to Nov. 19. The Leafs have just two regulation losses in their past 11 games. Florida scored twice on their first seven shots to open a 2-0 lead in the first period. Bjugstad opened the scoring 1:39 into the first, beating Bernier with a backhand blocker side for his 12th goal of the season. Bergenheim finished off a 2-on-1 feed from Brad Boyes at 13:50 to give the Panthers a two-goal lead. The assist was the 250th of Boyes career. "We were kind of stunned," said Carlyle. "The first shot on goal was in our net. It set us back a little bit and we werent really moving our feet. We seemed to find a way to get it going." It was all Toronto after that as the Leafs scored five unanswered goals. After Franson cut Floridas lead in the first, the Leafs scored twice in the first minute of the second period to take a 3-2 lead. Raymond scored off the rush, with a wrist shot, glove-side on Clemmensen 27 seconds into the period for his 14th of the season. Van Riemsdyk tipped a Phil Kessel shot past Clemmensen at 57 seconds of the second period, on a power play. With the goal, van Riemsdyk surpassed his previous single-season goals total of 21 set during the 2010-11 season while he was a member of the Philadelphia Flyers. Bozak finished off a 2-on-1 feed from Kessel at 18:37 of the third. "A few weeks ago, it felt like the sky was falling in Toronto," said Kadri of the four-game losing streak. "We understood that it was nothing to panic about, we just rallied around each other. " Added Franson: "Were moving in the right direction and I dont know if you can call it a swagger, but our play is getting better and at the end of the day thats all youre looking to do is progressively progress." Toronto concludes its three-game home stand Saturday against the Ottawa Senators. Notes: Leafs coach Randy Carlyle expects David Clarkson (elbow) to return during the teams two-game road trip in Florida. a Toronto forward David Bolland (ankle) is 50-50 to return to the lineup prior to the Olympic break according to Carlyle. a Florida forward Shawn Matthias (illness) returned to the lineup Thursday. Noel Acciari Jersey . Heck, we might just miss the BCS. Maybe? It sort of worked out this season. Top-ranked Florida State (13-0) was the only team to get through the regular season unbeaten, and the Seminoles did it in dominating fashion. Stephen Weiss Jersey . Bobrovsky posted a 2-0-1 record with a 1.58 goals-against average and .950 save percentage to help the Blue Jackets (35-26-6) gain five of a possible six points last week. He capped the week by making 32 saves and stopping 2-of-4 shootout attempts in a 2-1 win over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday. CARSON, Calif. -- Landon Donovan broke the Major League Soccer goal record Sunday night, scoring his 135th and 136th regular-season goals in the Los Angeles Galaxys 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Union. Playing for the first time since being cut from the U.S. World Cup team, Donovan broke a tie with Jeff Cunningham in the 49th minute with his first goal of the season, then added another in the 81st. Donovan also holds the MLS playoff record with 22 goals. Donovan scored his first goal on a counterattack, passing to Robbie Keane, who took the ball into the Union box and fed Donovan at the left post for an easy finish. After making it 4-0 in the 81st, Donovan was replaced by Brazilian forward Samuel a minute later, departing to a standing ovation from the crowd of 21,010. "Its been a long week," Donovan said. "Its hard not to make it about me, and I dont necessarily want it to be that way. But Ive sacrificed a lot to be in the position Im in and I was very happy for myself because Ive dedicated a lot to this. I think I deserved what happened today." Donovan, also the U.S. national team goals leader with 57 in 156 games, has played 311 regular-season games in 15 MLS seasons. The Jamaican-born Cunningham, a former U.S. national team player, played in 365 games over 14 seasons with Columbus, Colorado, Real Salt Lake, Toronto FC and FC Dallas. He last played in MLS in 2011. Donovan said he wasnt looking to make a statementt after coach Jurgen Klinsmanns decision not to include him in the group headed to Brazil. Quinton Howden Jersey. "This is my job and this is what I get paid to do, so my teammates depend on me and I think Ive played well this year, but I needed to contribute on the scoreboard, and that felt good," said Donovan, who was making his eighth appearance of the season. "Obviously, a lot of relief in some ways, a lot of joy, but I feel like Im in really good form right now, and I really feel good about how I played, and this is a continuation of how Ive played over the last few months." Donovan is No. 2 on the leagues career assists list with 120, including one on Leonardos second-minute header Sunday. Steve Ralston, a Houston Dynamo assistant coach who retired in 2010, has the record with 135. That was the first goal for Los Angeles, with Donovan delivering a free kick for Leonardo to finish. Keane scored a third in the 64th minute after a turnover by Union defender Sheanon Williams. Los Angeles (4-3-3) won consecutive games for the second time this season. Philadelphia (2-7-5), which welcomed back midfielder Maurice Edu -- also one of seven players trimmed from the 30-man World Cup preliminary roster -- lost its second game in a row and fifth in the last six outings. The Union have won just once in their last dozen games. Edu scored in the 88th minute, converting a penalty kick after Raul Mendiola fouled Zach Pfeffer. ' ' '