overtime but was stopped by Smith,

(SportsNetwork.com) - A pair of Atlantic Division combatants return from the NHLs Christmas break, as the Florida Panthers welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs for Sundays clash at BB&T Center. The Panthers havent played since Monday when they salvaged the finale of a home-and-home series with Pittsburgh. Florida began a four-game homestand with the shootout triumph over the Penguins and improved to 8-4-2 as the home club this season. Toronto also was able to head into the brief break on a positive note, as it posted a 4-0 victory Tuesday night in Dallas. The shutout win halted an 0-3 slide for Randy Carlyles club and was the Maple Leafs seventh victory in 10 outings. This evenings test marks the first of four scheduled encounters between the Leafs and Panthers in 2014-15. Florida, which is five points in back of fourth-place Toronto in the division standings, won three of four meetings with Toronto last season and has claimed eight of the past 12 encounters in this series. The Panthers also have won two straight, seven of nine and nine of the past 12 meetings in the Sunshine State. Florida won its third consecutive home game with Mondays 4-3 decision over the Penguins, who had posted a 3-1 victory over the Panthers in the Steel City on Dec. 20. Aleksander Barkov provided the lone goal of a seven-round shootout as the Cats claimed the extra point in the finale. After Simon Despres had his chance deflected away by Roberto Luongo to open the final round, Barkov faked a move from forehand-to-backhand up the middle and casually flipped a shot past Marc- Andre Fleury which ended the game. Florida has been no stranger to lengthy shootout battles recently, as the club has endured four shootouts lasting a total of 35 rounds in its last six contests. Jimmy Hayes scored twice in regulation and Jussi Jokinen once for the Panthers, while Luongo came up with 24 saves. Weve been beating some good teams here, Hayes said. We have to continue to put pucks in the net. Florida will continue its homestand Tuesday against Montreal before completing the stay in Sunrise the following night against the New York Rangers. The Maple Leafs, meanwhile, are making the third stop on a seven-game road trip tonight. Toronto began the epic trek with last Sundays 4-0 setback in Chicago, but the Leafs rebounded two days later when they downed the Stars by the same score. James van Riemsdyk led Torontos offense with a goal and two assists, but Jonathan Bernier played an even bigger role in the victory, stopping all 43 shots to post his second shutout of the season. Berniers 43 saves included 19 in the third period. He picked up his ninth career shutout. The win allowed Toronto to avoid its first four-game losing streak of the season. You dont want losing streaks to linger and that one was lingering long enough for us, said Carlyle. Hopefully well use this as a little bit of a breather. It was the best Christmas present we could have given ourselves. Nazem Kadri added a goal and an assist for the Leafs, who also received goal from Tyler Bozak and Mike Santorelli. Phil Kessel contributed two helpers to the winning effort. Toronto, which is three points behind Montreal for the third and final automatic playoff bid in the Atlantic, improved its road record this season to 6-4-3. The Leafs will continue the swing with Mondays tilt in Tampa and that means both Bernier and backup James Reimer could draw starts over the next two games. Bernier is 1-1-0 with a 2.58 goals against average in his career against Florida, while Reimer has a lifetime 1-3-0 record and a 3.47 GAA in this matchup. Luongo boasts a 15-7-0 record and a 2.29 GAA against Toronto and is expected to start tonight. Cheap Nike Shox Outlet . Coming off a 6-0 drubbing at Chelsea on Saturday, Arsenal endured another demoralizing result after rallying for a 2-1 lead -- only to concede a fluke equalizer. Cheap Nike Shox . Cain departed in the fourth inning of a 10-5 loss to the Pirates on Thursday. X-rays on Cains bruised forearm were negative. He was hit when Sanchez led off the fourth with a groundout. http://www.cheapnikeshox.net/ . The Toronto Maple Leafs forward and Nashville Predators goaltender highlighted Mondays waiver transactions, with Calgarys Chuck Kobasew and Edmontons Philip Larsen also being placed on waivers. Cheap Nike Shox Fre Shipping . The Canadian Luge Association officially named seven athletes to the 2014 Olympic team Tuesday. Edney, will lead teenagers John Fennell and Mitchel Malyk into their first Games in mens singles. Tristan Walker and Justin Snith will represent Canada in doubles, while Gough, will be joined by Kimberley McRae in womens singles. Nike Shox For Sale . The traditional pre-Masters event was halted early due to inclement weather. Harrington, who tied for first in 2003 and won in 2004, became the first three-time champion of the event. BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Mike Smiths unwitting mistake gave the short-handed Buffalo Sabres a 2-1 overtime win over the Phoenix Coyotes on Monday night. With 3:47 gone in overtime, Sabres defenceman Mark Pysyk took a shot that hit Martin Hanzal and became lodged in the back of Smiths jersey. The Coyotes goalie retreated into his crease, unknowingly carrying the puck across the line and ending the game. "I didnt feel it at all," Smith said of the bizarre goal. "I didnt know what happened. I knew that puck went up in the air but had no idea where it went after that." Ryan Miller made 36 saves for the Sabres, and said hes never seen anything quite like Mondays ending. "A little unlucky for Smith there," Miller said. "I think hell be shaking his head for a while. Its a little bit of a Christmas present for us and well take it." The Sabres started the game with just 16 skaters after a virus left Linus Omark, Cody Hodgson, Ville Leino, Marcus Foligno and Alexander Sulzer unable to play. Buffalo was only able to recall Pysyk and left wing Johan Larsson from its AHL affiliate in Rochester because the team was en route to the Spengler Cup tournament in Davos, Switzerland. Tyler Ennis also scored for Buffalo, which is 4-0-1 in its last five home games after starting the season 3-12-1 at First Niagara Center. The fans gave the Sabres several standing ovations throughout the contest, and the team went to centre ice to salute them after the game. "I play on emotion and when fans are just supportive like that, its a huge boost," Sabres rookie centre Zemgus Girgensons said. "First 30 games fans were there for us but we didnt play well." Hanzal scored for the Coyotes, who concluded a four-game road trip with a 1-1-2 record. Smith made 30 saves. Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said the odd ending fit his teams performance. "The game is an honest game," he said. "If youre supposed to win, usually you can win. And we didnt deserve to win tonight, so those things happen." Phoenix outshot Buffalo 15-3 in the first period, though the two best chances belonged to the Sabres. The Coyotes opened the scoring 19 seconds into the second period when Hanzal raised his stick to deflect Connor Murphys slap shot over Miller. The play was reviewed and it was determined Hanzals stick struck the puck below the height of the cross bar. Miller didnt like the call and directed blame to the NHL Situation Room in Toronto, which reviewed the goal. "It hit the top of his blade and his blade was up high," the goalie said. &quuot;The puck wasnt rising, it was already over the crossbar in my mind so I think Toronto got it absolutely wrong.dddddddddddd" Buffalo native and former Sabres left wing Tim Kennedy recorded an assist on the goal. Miller kept the deficit at 1 by coming out to the top of his crease to stop a high shot from Michael Stone. Girgensons was thwarted on a breakaway just two minutes later as Murphy grabbed the rookies stick before he could get a shot on Smith. There was no penalty on the play. Drew Stafford left the Sabres with 15 available skaters after receiving a five-minute elbowing penalty and game misconduct. Facing the boards to the right of Smith, Stafford swung his elbow backward at oncoming Oliver Ekman-Larsson and caught the defenceman in the face. The Sabres killed off 2 1/2 minutes of the major penalty before Hanzal took a roughing penalty. In the remaining 30 seconds, Smith stopped Otts slap shot during a 2-on-1 break. Buffalos penalty kill has been successful on 21 of its last 22 chances. "Short bench, all the penalties we had, it didnt seem like anything in the game was really going our way," Girgensons said. "We just worked probably the hardest weve worked throughout the whole season and stuck to the system. Thats the way we won." Ennis tied the score 14:01 into the third. Girgensons forced a turnover at the Coyotes blue line and found Ennis, who beat Smith for his eighth goal of the season. "The guy just fell and I lifted his stick and slid the puck through the two guys I was hoping it would go through and Ennis finished it really good," Girgensons said. Jamie McBain had a partial breakaway in overtime but was stopped by Smith, who quickly had to make a second stop on McBain. The game ended moments later with Pysyks goal. "I just put it on net, figuring Id maybe get a rebound," Pysyk said. "Just popped up right in the air and was lucky enough that he spun and it went right into the net." Smith was embarrassed by his teams effort considering the Sabres line-up woes and an impending three-day break for Christmas. "That was embarrassing as far as Im concerned," he said. "You go on a Christmas break, you have three days off and you come out like that? I think thats a bunch of garbage as far as far as Im concerned." NOTES: The Sabres placed C Kevin Porter on injured reserve before the game and assigned D Chad Ruhwedel to AHL Rochester. ... Phoenix scratched Gilbert Brule for the first time in three games. ... John Scott played forward and defence for the Sabres. ' ' '