SUNRISE, Fla. -- Two teenage rookies -- Mitchell Marner and Auston Matthews -- gave further evidence on Wednesday night as to what the Toronto Maple Leafs are trying to build.

Marner scored the only shootout goal and Matthews produced a goal and an assist in regulation to lead Toronto to a 3-2 win over the Florida Panthers at the BB&T Center.

It was the first shootout win of the season in six tries for Toronto.

The Leafs (15-12-7) also got great goaltending from Frederik Andersen, who had 45 saves through regulation and overtime and stopped all three shots he faced in the shootout.

Florida outshot Toronto 17-7 in the third period, which is when the Panthers scored both goals. But Andersen saved a penalty shot by Denis Malgin, allowing Toronto to get to the shootout.

Perhaps it was fitting that Marner, 19, got the winner in the shootout because he was stopped on all nine of his shot attempts in regulation and overtime. Marner beat Roberto Luongo between his pads to end the game.

"Marner could have scored six goals on the night," Leafs coach Mike Babcock said of the chances his rookie had. "He finally got one."

Matthews, a 19-year-old California native who was the first overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft, has 17 goals and 11 assists this season. He also has five goals in his past seven games.

It's all part of the Toronto youth movement. The Leafs lead the league with eight rookies who have scored at least one goal this season.

"Our young guys are getting better," Babcock said. "They're becoming more dominant players."

Meanwhile, the Panthers (15-14-7) suffered a potentially huge loss when star center Aleksander Barkov was injured in the second period.

Panthers coach Tom Rowe would not disclose the injury, but Barkov did get hit with a puck in the back in the first period. Published reports indicated Barkov might have suffered a broken rib, but Rowe denied that as a rumor.

"It's not a broken rib, I can tell you that," Rowe said.

William Nylander also scored for the Leafs, who won their third straight game, all on the road. Toronto has outscored its opponents 12-3 on this impressive trip.

"We're on a good roll right now," Matthews said.

Toronto is also 3-0 against the Panthers this season, outscoring Florida 11-5.

The Panthers got goals by Jonathan Marchessault and Vincent Trocheck. For Marchessault, who leads the team with 11 goals, it was his first since Nov. 27.

Still, the Panthers are just 1-1-2 on their current homestand, which has one game left.

Luongo (38 saves) failed in his second straight attempt to pass Terry Sawchuk for fifth place on the NHL career wins list. Both have 447 wins.

Florida went 0 of 4 on the power play, and that proved costly.

Toronto, with 9:22 left in the first period, opened the scoring. Connor Brown's shot hit Matthews in the glove and dropped fortuitously right to his stick. Matthews then scored on an open net.

Toronto made it 2-0 on Nylander's power-play goal with 2:06 left in the second period. Matthews threaded a cross-ice pass to Nylander, who beat Luongo with a high shot to the blocker side.

It was Nylander's eighth goal of the season, including five on power plays.

"We're going to address the start we had," Panthers captain Derek MacKenzie said. "I think we were a step off (early)."

Florida cut its deficit to 2-1 on a goal by Marchessault, just 29 seconds into the third period. Keith Yandle set up the goal with his shot from beyond the left circle. Marchessault knocked it down with his stick and then deposited the puck past Andersen.

The Panthers tied the score on a rebound goal by Trocheck just two minutes later. Trocheck pounced after Andersen saved a shot by Jakub Kindl. It was career point No. 100 for Trocheck.

In the shootout, Andersen denied Trocheck, Seth Griffith and Nick Bjugstad. Florida, though, missed not having Barkov, whose 12 shootout goals are a franchise record.

But Yandle indicated it should never have come down to a shootout.

"The way I played in the first and second periods, it wasn't good enough," Yandle said. "But we're not going to give up."

NOTES: Florida was without RW Reilly Smith, who suffered a concussion last Friday against the Detroit Red Wings. ... The first 10,000 fans who show up to attend Florida's Jan. 6 game against the Nashville Predators will get free Jaromir Jagr T-shirts commemorating him moving past Mark Messier for second place on the NHL career points list. ... Jagr led the NHL with five assists last week and was voted the league’s top star. ... Florida scratched D Dylan McIlrath and LW Shawn Thornton. ... Toronto scratched LW Josh Leivo, C Byron Froese and D Frank Corrado. … Up next, Toronto will play at the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday before returning home to face the Detroit Red Wings in a New Year's Day outdoor game. ... Florida will finish its five-game homestand on Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens.