Jake Gardiner scored the overtime winner, helping the Toronto Maple Leafs snap a three-game losing streak with a 2-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.
Gardiner was set up by Mitch Marner, whose shot just shuffled past Penguins defenceman Derrick Pouliot in front. Nikita Zaitsev also scored for the Leafs, who had dropped their previous four games at home.
Frederik Andersen made 33 saves.
Evgeni Malkin scored the lone goal for the Penguins. Marc-Andre Fleury and Matt Murray combined to make 47 saves. Fleury was forced to exit briefly in the first period.
Toronto, which had dropped six of its previous seven games, outshot Pittsburgh 49-34.
The action started rather frantically when Carl Hagelin was hooked on a breakaway attempt by Leafs defenceman Connor Carrick in the opening two minutes. Hagelin was awarded a penalty shot but was stopped by Andersen.
Less than a minute later Fleury was forced to exit following a dangerous play in front of his net.
Leafs winger James van Riemsdyk was tussling with Penguins defenceman Steve Oleksy when van Riemsdyk lost his balance partially, his left skate rising up and catching Fleury under the chin. As the action turned the other way Fleury signalled to the bench and the play was eventually whistled down.
Fleury is back in net after taking a skate to the neck. He taps Murray's pads as a thank you on his way back. http://pic.twitter.com/Ef3orI5gzn
— @penguins
The 32-year-old received treatment on the ice from a team trainer for an apparent cut before heading to the Pittsburgh dressing room. Murray entered in his place, stopping all six shots he faced.
Fleury returned just past the midway point of the period, checking with Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan before he ultimately took his place back in the crease following a TV timeout.
Pittsburgh went up 1-0 just under two minutes later on Malkin's 13th goal of the year. He was set up nicely by defenceman Justin Schultz, who faked a shot from atop the slot before sliding it over to Malkin. The Russian centre whipped a one-time shot from one knee.
The Leafs evened it up 14 seconds after Malkin's goal on Zaitsev's first in the NHL. The 25-year-old, a free agent signing from Russia last summer, fired a shot from the right point that was batted by Oleksy in front before caroming off Fleury's mask and into the goal.
Leafs outshoot, outplay, outlast Penguins in OT thriller
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