In Toronto,John Tavares had a goal and three points on Saturday night as the Maple Leafs needed a strong third period to hold off the Detroit Red Wings for a 5-4 win.
“The win should feel a little better than it does,” Tavares said. “As important as the two points are, obviously we want to fix the recipe a little bit in terms of how we finished off in the third period. We didn’t dictate the game. Getting a two-goal lead twice, we didn’t really put them away. Overall though, some good steps taken in certain areas and a big two points.”
Petr Mrazek made 27 saves for the Leafs win.
“Mixed emotions (on the game),” Toronto’s Jake Muzzin (goal) said. “We’ll take the win. We did a lot of good things, but we definitely have to tighten some things up and play better with the lead, that’s for sure.”
Detroit dropped to 4-3-2 with the loss.
Joe Veleno and Filip Zadina posted a goal and two points each in the Red Wings loss.
“I was a little bit shy and I really didn’t know what to talk about a lot,” Veleno said. “He made up most of the conversation. Once I got to spend a little time with him in the car I got a little more comfortable. He’s a really good person and really easy to talk to, so that made the drive fairly easy. … It definitely means a lot to drive with Steve Yzerman. I guess it’s a story I can tell in the future.”
Michael Bunting, Jake Muzzin and Alexander Kerfoot scored for the Maple Leafs.
Mitchell Marner had a Maple Leafs goal to give them a 5-3 in the third period.
“Huge for [Marner],” Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe said. “Two really strong games now in a row for him where I thought he’s been really dominant with the puck, confident and comfortable. He’s done a nice job to help his linemates come alive. It’s one thing to do that, but it’s another thing to see a zero beside your name, so for him to get that tonight was big. Those are the types of goals that seem to go in and then things seem to fall in place.”
Vladislav Namestnikov and Filip Hronek also scored for the Red Wings.
“It’s hard to get wins in this League, (so) we’ll take them whenever we can,” Kerfoot said. “We’re building towards something, but we are not there yet and that showed tonight. It was just not clean enough, gave up too many chances. Getting a goal going into the third period, we’d like to close the game out a little better than that.”
Thomas Greiss made 33 saves in the Wings loss.
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