Marner's 3 Assists Lead Maple Leafs Over Panthers
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TORONTO (AP) — Mitch Marner had three assists and goaltender Frederik Andersen bounced back from a horrid outing as the Toronto Maple Leafs won for the second time this season, topping the Florida Panthers 3-2 on Thursday night.
Marner set up Tyler Bozak for two goals and also assisted James van Riemsdyk. Andersen, who gave up a career-worst seven goals on Tuesday, stopped 29 of 31 shots for Toronto (2-2-3).
Jonathan Marchessault had both goals for the Panthers (3-3-1). Roberto Luongo made 25 saves.
Andersen was under the microscope heading into the game after another rough start two nights earlier against the Lightning (seven goals on 24 shots).
Though he surrendered the game's opening goal to Marchessault, on which he had no chance, the 27-year-old Andersen came up with a number of fine stops early. He turned aside former Leaf Greg McKegg on a breakaway as well as Colton Sceviour later in the period, the Florida wing outmaneuvering Jake Gardiner for a chance in the slot.
Andersen, who entered the night having allowed at least four goals in four of five starts, looked more composed and quiet in the net than he had against Tampa and throughout a shaky start to the season.
The Leafs tied it 1-1 with just over a minute left in the first period on Bozak's second goal this season.
Luongo, who entered the night with a 20-8-2 career mark against Toronto, got the start instead of backup James Reimer, who was facing his former team for the first time. Reimer, who played more than 200 games with the Leafs, started two nights earlier in the Panthers' 3-2 loss to Pittsburgh.
Marchessault beat Andersen on a Florida power play early in the second period. It was the second of the game for the 25-year-old, who already has 10 points in his first seven games with the Panthers.
Toronto tied it 2-2 about a minute later on van Riemsdyk's fourth of the season. Again it was Marner, who kicked the puck from his left skate to his stick and then to van Riemsdyk driving to the net. He deked and then slid a backhander between Luongo's pads.
Marner showed his craftiness once more, setting up another goal for Bozak with a no-look pass from the right face-off circle. It was his third assist of the night and first multi-point game in the NHL.
Toronto managed to hang onto a third-period lead after dropping four of their first five games when leading after 40 minutes. They did so primarily because of Andersen, who came up bloody with less than eight minutes remaining, Sceviour's stick blade finding a hole in the goaltender's mask and cutting him between the eyes.
He remained in the game though and improved to 2-1-3 this season.
NOTES: Jaromir Jagr, who set up Florida's first goal, moved into sole possession of seventh on the all-times game played list (1,636), passing Hall of Fame defenseman Scott Stevens. The 44-year-old is three games from tying Dave Anderchuk for sixth place. ... Seth Griffith made his Maple Leafs debut, totaling just under nine minutes of ice time.
UP NEXT
Panthers: At Buffalo on Saturday in the third game of a four-game trip.
Maple Leafs: At Montreal on Saturday in the front end of a back-to-back.
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