SAINT NICK: Robertson’s OT winner in season debut lifts Maple Leafs past Stars

Article content

One day, Nick Robertson could be a consistently elite player for the Maple Leafs. 

Article content

On Thursday, the winger took a step toward that potential impact. 

Article content

In his first Leafs game of the season, Robertson scored two goals, including the winner in overtime, giving the Leafs a 3-2 victory against the Dallas Stars. 

Before a crowd of 18,488 at Scotiabank Arena, Robertson hammered a pass from Auston Matthews behind Stars goalie Scott Wedgewood at 3:46 of the extra period.

Article content

The Leafs don’t play at home again until Nov. 2, when the Philadelphia Flyers visit. A game in Winnipeg against the Jets starts a five-game trip and hits Las Vegas and winds its way through California. 

Toronto couldn’t score on a late power play that carried over into the first 49 seconds of overtime.

The Leafs improved to 3-2-0. Dallas lost for the first time this season, falling to 3-0-1.

Article content

The game was the first for the Leafs since coach Sheldon Keefe called out his elite players on Monday after a loss against lowly Arizona. While the coach walked those comments back on Wednesday, they were not off the mark, as the Leafs’ top players continue to try to find a consistent rhythm.

After the morning skate, Stars coach Peter DeBoer figured his club would have to contend with a better Leafs effort.

“We’re going to see their best game,” DeBoer said. “When you challenge your best players to be better, you know with the character in that room they’re going to respond. We know that and we have to be ready for that.”

OK, so it wasn’t the Leafs’ best game, but it certainly was better than what the team put forth against Arizona.

Article content

After Robertson fired a shot past Wedgewood at 1:59 of third — aided by a terrific pass by Michael Bunting — the Leafs had a 2-1 lead and some momentum.

But Dallas tied the game at 7:21 on a power play on a goal by Tyler Sequin that originally had been called off. 

The call on the ice was incidental contact with goalie Ilya Samsonov, and DeBoer challenged. 

After a lengthy review and meeting between referees Ghislain Hebert and Michael Markovic, the goal stood. On the original call, it appeared that Seguin might have pushed Samsonov, or at the least pushed Mitch Marner into the netminder. 

The Leafs couldn’t score on a power play that came with six minutes remaining. 

As one might have expected, Robertson brought energy in his first game with the Leafs in 2022-23. Demoted to the Toronto Marlies because the Leafs were afraid of losing Denis Malgin on waivers (little chance of that happening), Robertson was summoned from the minors once some money cleared up.

Article content

You would think the Leafs now will give Robertson a healthy opportunity to prove his worth, considering all of the good things they have been saying about him. Never mind that, Robertson has earned a legitimate shot. 

“We’ve seen a growth and a maturity in his game and a bit of a recognition that he does not have to take on everything on every shift and feel like every shot has to go in the net,” Keefe said. “There’s an understanding of the process and patience that has to come with being consistent.”

Toronto had some increased hustle in the second period and partly as a result, drew five Dallas minors in the second. 

Article content

The Leafs scored on one of them when the second power-play unit came through at 2:31. Alex Kerfoot, parked to the right of Wedgewood, had an open net to hit when the puck changed direction in front of the Stars net and found its way to Kerfoot’s stick. It was Kerfoot’s first goal of the season. 

None of the Leafs’ other 16 shots on goal in the period, however, made it past Wedgewood. Marner might have had the best chance when he came to the front of the net with a man advantage but could not get a clear shot off. 

The Leafs didn’t have much pop in the first period and trailed 1-0 when it ended. For a club that was under the gun in the previous couple of days, the Leafs didn’t quite jump out of the gate with a ton of urgency. 

In the first, Dallas had 24 shot attempts. Toronto had 11. 

The Stars goal was scored by Luke Glendening at 14:45 when he smacked a rebound into the net under the right arm of Samsonov. 

With six shots on goal, the Leafs didn’t really test Wedgewood. 

[email protected]

twitter.com/koshtorontosun