Toronto: Matt Martin thinks his offensive statistics might be helped by his new linemate.
Mitch Marner played on Toronto’s fourth line for the third straight game and set up goals by Martin and Tyler Bozak, and the Maple Leafs handed the Los Angeles Kings their first regulation loss of the season with a 3-2 victory on Monday night.
“He’s one of the elite playmakers in the league so it’s a good opportunity for me and (Dominic Moore) right now to try and get some offence,” Martin said.
“We’ll ride this as long as we can.”
Marner had 19 goals and 42 assists in 77 games last season as a rookie. But he struggled to produce early this season with his regular linemates Bozak and James van Riemsdyk, leading to him being replaced on Toronto’s second line by Connor Brown.
He entered Monday with just one goal in eight games, but coach Mike Babcock felt he was Toronto’s best player against the Kings.
“We need him to be a star, we think he’s a star,” Babcock said.
“The NHL is a hard league when it doesn’t go your way and the other thing about the league is when someone gets in your spot and they play real good, that makes it hard for you. I thought he was excellent tonight, I thought that line was good, I thought Matt Martin was a good player for us.”
Patrick Marleau also scored for the Maple Leafs (7-2-0), and Frederik Andersen made 36 saves.
Toronto has won at least seven of its first nine games for the first time since the 1993-94 season and just the seventh time overall in franchise history.
Adrian Kempe and Trevor Lewis scored for Los Angeles (6-1-1), which had won four in a row. Jonathan Quick stopped 31 shots.
Marner helped the Maple Leafs jump in front 5:46 into the first. He entered the zone and curled behind the net before teeing up Roman Polak for a one-timer from the blue line that Martin deflected past Quick from the top of the crease.
“Everyone is scared of (Martin) when that guy’s coming full speed at you on the forecheck,” Marner said.
“We kind of talked about that before the game, just let him be the animal he is in deep. It worked out. He made some great plays out there to get me the puck and it went our way.”
Bozak made it 2-0 when he jammed home a rebound on a power play with 5:16 to play in the second. But Kempe quickly responded for Los Angeles, beating Andersen with a wrist shot.
Kings defenceman Drew Doughty got cut on the nose by Marleau’s skate midway through the second, but was OK to play on once the bleeding stopped.
The Kings held a 29-24 shot advantage through 40 minutes.
— AP
