Leafs top Hawks in OT

TORONTO— Duncan Keith gave Mitch Marner a rude shove into the boards as the first period ended, what a senior would do to a Grade 9 student in a tight hallway.

The message was not subtle: This is high school and you’re a long way from graduating.

Toronto’s eager beaver lineup found out was it’s like to face an experienced team, dripping Stanley Cup rings who won’t let it run around unfettered. But, it was revenge of the nerds when the bell finally sounded, as the Leafs came back from a two-goal deficit in the third for a 4-3 win.

Auston Matthews’ first of the game with 1:17 to go in overtime kept Toronto undefeated through their first three, which matches their 2013-14 start. Connor Brown’s goal and a late power play effort from Tyler Bozak off James van Riemsdyk’s skate forced overtime, Toronto also surviving a late regulation Jake Gardiner slashing call.

Marner, William Nylander, Matthews and a few other noted shooters came up dry during the initial stage of a 43-shot barrage on Anton Forsberg. The unheralded goalie stood his ground most of the night and his club swept away rebounds. From 15 goals the previous two games, the first time that’s happened to open a season in 100 years of franchise history, the Leafs settled for three, their first one off the stick of Nikita Zaitsev.

The Leafs set the tone in terms of pace, but unlike against Winnipeg and New York there was no meltdown on defence or in net in the first period. Starting for Corey Crawford so the latter can play Tuesday in his hometown of Montreal, Forsberg was looking for his first NHL win as a starter, coming in 1-8.

There was nothing wrong with Frederik Andersen at the other end in the first frame except bad luck, a wraparound by defenceman Jan Rutta that glanced off of Marner’s stick and in. Ruuta improved to plus eight through three games of his NHL career. Gardiner, author of a beautiful goal Saturday on a solo rush got mixed up in his zone, with a puck hitting Andersen’s discarded stick behind the net and ending up in an easy Jonathan Toews’ rebound.

After a series of disjointed power plays by both teams, Andreas Borgman was just exiting the box when ex-Leaf Richard Panik beat Nylander to a backboard bounce and had an open net. But instead of folding, the Leaf kept forechecking, Brown giving them a spark.

Before the game, Toronto coach Mike Babcock tried to reconcile the pack attack mentality of his forwards with the troubles they’ve had on their side of centre.

“It’s not even team defence (at fault), it’s what you do with the puck that puts you in bad spots,” the coach said. “We have to take care of the puck way better, play the whole 60 minutes against a good team.