Devils Make Leafs Fall | GAME STORY

NEWARK, NJ - Paul Cotter and Jesper Bratt scored in the shootout, and Jacob Markstrom was perfect as the Devils string together their third straight victory with a 4-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Devils climbed back to tie the game with the Leafs three times on Wednesday night, before posting the shootout victory.

“We’re a team that hasn’t won many games from behind, so that’s a good sign,” Brown said. “You put up 40-plus shots, it should give you a good chance to win and I thought we played a good game, all in all, so a lot of positive things.”

“To have your best period in the third, stay with it through overtime, mentally to stay with it and execute, I think it’s yet another example of you’re capable of doing good things, despite the circumstances.” head coach Sheldon Keefe said. 

The first time, coming in the opening period after Mattias Maccelli gave the Leafs the early 1-0 lead and again in the second after the Leafs went up 2-1 on a goal by William Nylander.

Timo Meier scored his 17th goal of the season to tie the game 1-1, before Arseny Gritsyuk tied the game up at 2-2, to enter the third period in a tie.

Late in the third period, Toronto forward Matthew Knies took advantage of a John Tavares shot ricocheting off of Markstrom's glove and into an open crease. For a third time, the Devils fought back to tie the game, with traffic pouring toward the crease and bodies collapsing in on the net, Connor Brown snapped a shot through the chaos. The puck rose up and over the outstretched pad of Stolarz before tucking under the bar.

"It’s a big win,” Jacob Markstrom said. “It’s a 2-2 game, I think we’re playing good and we’ve got a lot of zone time and then we got a bad break and they got a 2-on-1 and they score on that one, so it’s huge for Brownie to strike and get a big goal for us with a couple minutes left.”

With Markstrom making some outstanding, game-saving saves in the dying second of the third period to set up overtime and ultimately the shootout.

Here are some observations from the game:

“You try and block out as much as you can,” Cotter said of taking his shootout attempt. “I have faith in the Big Man’s plans, so hopefully it’s me making it. Most of the time it has been, just pretty lucky and happy that it went in,”

• Jacob Markstrom started in goal for a third consecutive game and on back-to-back nights. On Tuesday, head coach Sheldon Keefe spoke about Markstrom being the type of goaltender that thrives in high-volume situations, and we've recently seen the best of Markstrom as he hits a groove. He was given another chance again on Wednesday to stay in the zone. 

“Marky himself made some comments that he played back-to-back in the Olympics and felt good,” head coach Sheldon Keefe said. “Obviously he’s played really well. Marky is not going to complain any time we ask him to go.”

• Arseny Gritsyuk's goal was a thing of beauty, assisted by Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier. Bratt circled down the wall and curled behind Stolarz's net. With his head up the entire way, from the hash marks he identifies Gritsyuk streaking into the play. 

Uncontested, Bratt doesn’t hesitate and he threads a perfect pass to Gritsyuk, who drops to a knee as the puck hits his stick. He unleashes the one-timer from his knees and the puck darting past Stolarz, tied the game up at 2-2.

• New Jersey used two different variations of their first wave of the power play. At first look, the first unit consisted of Dougie Hamilton, Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes, Arseny Gritsyuk and Connor Brown. Later in the second period, Jesper Bratt took the spot of Gritsyuk on the first wave. 

• New Jersey had 44 shots in regulation. The Leafs are at the top of the league for most-shots conceded this season with 31.8 a game. 

• Brett Pesce was not in the lineup for the Devils, out with a lower-body injury sustained against the Florida Panthers. On Pesce's injury, head coach Sheldon Keefe said prior to the game, "We're not sure at this point. We have to get him evaluated. He completed the game last night. We knew he was dealing with something and he got through it. Just the nature of the back-to-back, we weren't able to sort it out. We'll have something in the next day or day."

• The Gold Medal celebration continued with another ceremonial puck drop. New Jersey had members of the women's gold medal-winning team, including Megan Keller, who scored the overtime winning goal against Canada at the Olympics.

The women were joined by Jack Hughes and Toronto's Auston Matthews, the two members of the Men's gold medal-winning team.

• The Maple Leafs had two late scratches on their roster, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Scott Laughton, for 'roster management' purposes as the NHL Trade Deadline looms on Friday at 3 p.m.