Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nazem Kadri spoiled the Florida Panthers' attempt to take sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division on Tuesday with the third hat trick of his career in a 5-2 win.

It was his first three-goal performance in almost exactly three years, with the last one coming March 30, 2013.

Kadri connected on a pair of second-period power plays to give the Maple Leafs a 3-1 lead, and sealed the victory on an empty-netter with less than three minutes remaining.

The 25-year-old continues to record points in bunches of late. A two-assist night against the Islanders on March 9 and a four-point outburst Thursday against the Ducks are the only two times he found the scoresheet in his past 13 games.

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