TORONTO — Ron Wilson was happy to play the percentages against Scott Clemmensen in a shootout.
The Maple Leafs coach sent right-handers out for Toronto, and former University of Denver star Tyler Bozak and Colby Armstrong scored to beat Florida 4-3 on Tuesday night after the Panthers got a late goal to force overtime.
Jean-Sebastien Giguere allowed a goal to David Booth on a nice spin move to open the shootout, but then stopped Mike Santorelli and Chris Higgins. He added 30 saves in regulation.
“We were going to win it or lose it with righties tonight,” Wilson said. “If you have the (numbers) available, use them.”
Phil Kessel took an elbowing penalty with 4:15 remaining, and 34 seconds later Cory Stillman tied the game at 3.
Kessel had a breakaway in the final seconds but couldn’t beat Clemmensen, extending his goal drought to eight games.
“I thought he was buzzing,” teammate Clarke MacArthur said. “He had a lot of shots, they just didn’t go in for him.”
Kris Versteeg, Nikolai Kulemin and Mikhail Grabovski scored in regulation for the Maple Leafs, who won for the second time in eight games.
Stephen Weiss and David Booth also scored in regulation for the Panthers, who have won once in their last seven games. Florida is 11th in the Eastern Conference, now five points ahead of Toronto.
“You’re never happy with one point,” Panthers coach Peter DeBoer said, “but it was probably a fair outcome.”
Grabovski put the Leafs up 3-2 at 6:16 of the second when he redirected Tomas Kaberle’s point shot past Clemmensen on a power play.
The goal came just 1:22 after a high-sticking penalty by Jay Rosehill allowed the Panthers to tie it 4:54. Keaton Ellerby made a pretty cross-ice pass from the point to Michael Frolik at the side of the goal, and he centered it in front for Booth to tap in.
The Leafs led 2-1 after the first period.
