"Actually, the first part of the first period wasn't a terrible start. It was actually a good start to the game. We gave up a shorthanded goal, and that is a tough one. The second was a little better, and our third was our best period, which is great to see the battle back. I thought our top line was really good tonight."
"Well, giving up a shorthanded goal, and giving up a faceoff goal... They shouldn't happen. They shouldn't happen. We got outmuscled around our net. It is just simple things. That is why I was pissed off. If you watch games and teams, there are momentum shifts in a game, right? But you don't need to break. You can bend, but the mistakes - the two or three mistakes we made early on in the game - are what upset you. There is no need for it."
"It was great. It is great to see. Great for him and great for our team. As I said, I thought that line drove play tonight, which is what I wanted to see. Whether they scored or not, just control the game more than you have and drive play. They did. I thought all three of them were pretty good tonight."
The Maple Leafs improved to 15-12-5 with a 3-2 comeback victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. The team started positively but surrendered a shorthanded goal and a faceoff goal after being outmuscled around the net. The second period showed incremental improvement, and the third period delivered the strongest performance to erase the deficit. Auston Matthews assisted on the go-ahead goal and scored a key power-play goal to tie and lift momentum. The top line drove play, controlled the game, and earned praise. Oliver Ekman-Larsson displayed consistent defensive play and production. The coach emphasized that avoidable mistakes undermined sustained 60-minute efforts.
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