Andersen delivers finest outing of the season in Leafs win; Marner dishes out three assists
TORONTO — Blood was still dripping from just above the left eye of Frederik Andersen moments after victory Thursday night, the scars of his finest outing as a Maple Leaf.
Andersen stopped 29-of-31 shots in a 3-2 win over the Panthers, bouncing back triumphantly from the worst start of his NHL career two nights earlier, a seven-goal shelling at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The 27-year-old looked more calm and composed in the crease versus Florida, coming up big in perhaps the Leafs’ worst defensive showing of the young season.
“He was our best player by far,” head coach Mike Babcock said on a night that saw rookie Mitch Marner dish out three impressive assists.