In Toronto, the visiting Detroit Red Wings entered the third period trailing the Maple Leafs, 2-1. They struck for three goals in the final frame to take a 4-2 win. 
Daniel Sprong tied the game, 2-2, with 2:46 gone in the third.
Andrew Copp hit for the game-winner with 100 seconds left on the game clock.
“Really good win,” Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said. “Really unique 24 hours. Obviously, I haven’t experienced 24 hours like that, I don’t think anyone in the League has. Weather, mechanical issues (with the airplane), it was crazy. To show up for a 7 o’clock in the National Hockey League at 6:15 is very unique and unusual, but I thought our guys handled it pretty well. There was things we couldn’t control in the last 24 hours, but the one thing we could control was our effort and execution, and for the most part, a pretty good job by the guys.”
James Reimer made 28 saves in the win.
“Reimer came in tonight and played unbelievable. Best game of the year,” Larkin said. “I know it’s special for him in this building, and we’ve been getting good goaltending. We’ve been good on the penalty kill, but tonight is a different animal with the buy-in and the sacrifice. It was unbelievable.”
Detroit improved to 22-16-5 off a six-game point streak.
After a scoreless opening stanza, the Maple Leafs took a 1-0 lead 32 seconds into the middle frame on a strike by Pontus Holmberg.
Detroit’s Dylan Larkin knotted the game, 1-1, at 15:39 off a shot frm the left side.
Toronto dropped to 21-12-8.
“Not enough offense for us here tonight,” Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe said. “Power plays early in the game, and then throughout that I didn’t think we were sharp enough offensively.
“To me, it’s a (lack) of offensive piece here today, and then late in the game, a pretty simple routine retrieval for the defense, we’ve got all sorts of numbers there, and we give them the puck.”
Mitchell Marner scored at 18:18 of the second to send the game to the third period with the Maple Leafs up, 2-1.
Toronto was scoreless in three power play chances on the night.
“That’s not ideal,” Reimer said. “That’s not the game plan to give those guys that have that many weapons opportunities, but it just spoke to the intensity and integrity that we played with as far as how we killed. We stuck to our structure, obviously they had a few looks because they have some good players, but I thought we killed extremely well and it set the tone.”
Ilya Samsonov was recalled from the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League, and got the start the Sunday. He made 20 saves in the loss.
“I thought battled his [butt] off,” Keefe said. “It’s the best I’ve thought he’s looked all season in terms of how he was tracking the puck. … So, I think this is a positive step for him.”
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