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The Toronto Maple Leafs finished up their four-game homestand with a 3-2 overtime vitory over the Dallas Stars at Scotiabank Arena, but more than earning two points after an embarrassing effort against Arizona on Monday, the game served as an emphatic statement by youngster Nick Robertson, who should have earned a spot out of training camp but could not make the roster because of salary cap restrictions and being waiver exempt.
The 21-year-old gave the Leafs the lead early in the third period and scored the game-winner on a one-timer past Stars goalie Scott Wedgewood with 1:04 remaining in overtime. Alex Kerfoot scored the other Toronto goal, Michael Bunting had a pair of assists, and Ilya Samsonov made 26 saves for his third win of the season.
The Leafs once again had trouble converting on scoring opportunities (going 1 for 8 with the man advantage and pelting Wedgewood with 43 shots on goal) and got what appeared to be the short end of the stick from the NHL’s video review. Following the questionable glove pass call on Morgan Rielly that took away Kerfoot’s game-tying marker on Monday, an inadvertent goalie interference call on Tyler Seguin was overturned to allow the Stars to even the score midway through the third.
I don't think you need to be a lip reader..... #Leafs pic.twitter.com/ZzLS5aSmdT
— Michael Augello (@MikeInBuffalo) October 21, 2022
Seguin appeared to push Mitch Marner into Samsonov, but that was not how the league saw the play after reviewing it for a lengthy period.
With the absence of veteran Jake Muzzin, head coach Sheldon Keefe leaned on his top four, playing Morgan Rielly over 27 minutes, Rasmus Sandin and Justin Holl over 20 minutes, and TJ Brodie 19:50.
The Stars imposed a physical toll on the Leafs in the contest, outhitting Toronto 41-31 and concentrating their fire on Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. Matthews was cross-checked in the hip area by Stars captain Jamie Benn in the first, and Marner was slammed into the boards by former Leaf Mason Marchment in the middle frame. Mark Giordano had a scare late in the game, taking a spill into the boards after being tripped by Luke Glendening. Matthews was given a maintenance day on Friday, but the veteran blueliner was unharmed and took part in practice prior to the club departing for Manitoba.
With a physical contest expected against the Jets on Saturday, Keefe will insert Wayne Simmonds in place of Nicolas Aube-Kubel against Winnipeg. The two clubs battled twice last season, after Jets defenseman Neal Pionk retaliated for a Sandin hit on Blake Wheeler in April 2021 by kneeing and knocking out the Leafs defenseman for multiple weeks.
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