The Toronto Maple Leafs gave James Reimer a rather rude reception in his first start at Air Canada Center since being dealt to the San Jose Sharks last February, as Connor Brown scored a career-high four points in a 6-1 victory over the Florida Panthers on Thursday.
Mitch Marner, Leo Komarov, James van Riemsdyk and Jake Gardiner also scored for Toronto, who move to 8-6-3 on the season with their seventh home victory and second over the Panthers.
Frederik Andersen made 26 saves for his eighth win, while Reimer allowed six goals on 30 shots in an inauspicious return to Toronto.
Connor Brown breezes by Aaron Ekblad for his second of the game. 2-1 Leafs pic.twitter.com/fhn3mFd03a
— Jeff Veillette (@JeffVeillette) November 18, 2016
"We know (Brown's) got the ability to score and make plays and we think he's going to score in the league. He can play with and without the puck, he's going to be a real good penalty killer. It was nice for him to get rewarded." Babcock said following the game. "I would have liked to see him get the third one, he was in there home free, but a good night for him. Any time you're plus-4 and you get four points in the National Hockey League it's a good night."
Brown entered the game with one goal and two assists in 16 games and topped his season output with two goals and two assists. The former OHL scoring champion deflected a Morgan Rielly point shot 5:55 into the first period that was originally waived off for being tipped with a high stick, but was reversed after a challenge from Leafs coach Mike Babcock.
After Aaron Ekblad tied the game midway through the first, Brown re-established the Toronto lead, getting around Ekblad’s attempted check and feeding a puck that went off Reimer’s skate.
The Prime Minister of Filthtario. Mitch Marner is so good. https://t.co/Jd167FITou
— Bucci Mane (@Buccigross) November 18, 2016
Marner made it 3-1 late in the first with some dazzling stick handling after a breakaway pass from van Riemsdyk. Komarov and van Riemsdyk extended the lead in the middle frame and Gardiner scored on a breakaway after serving a penalty late in the third.
The Leafs will attempt repeat their winning ways on the road, as they travel to the Bell Center to take on the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday.
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Leafs draft pick Jeremy Bracco continued his hot pace in the OHL on Thursday, as the 2015 second round pick scored three goals and an assist in a 7-4 Kitchener Rangers win over Peterborough.
Bracco has 14 goals and 21 assists (third in the OHL behind Erie’s Taylor Raddysh and Alex DeBrincat) and has scored in all 17 games for Kitchener this season.
The 19-year-old forward will likely be a member of Team USA for the upcoming IIHF World Junior in Toronto and Montreal next month.
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