Are we counting moral victories still? The Toronto Maple Leafs lost again, but for the second game in a row, they didn’t look bad. In fact, I’d go as far as to say they had a good game tonight and probably deserved better than the single point they got for an overtime loss. But alas.

I can pinpoint several players who had a great game for the Maple Leafs tonight. John Tavares looked vintage, assisting on Dakota Mermis’ first goal of the season and as a Maple Leaf and then tying the game in the third period. Easton Cowan looked as comfortable as a 20-year-old NHLer could, routinely getting shots on the top line with Tavares and William Nylander and setting up the former’s tying goal. And Scott Laughton showed how much the team was missing his presence both in the bottom six and on the penalty kill, generating some decent scoring chances and laying his body on the line for some crucial shot blocks near the end of the game.

All of this was undone by a simple giveaway in overtime by Max Domi. He was looking for Oliver Ekman-Larsson at the front of the net but it ended up right on Zach Werenski’s stick, who then found Adam Fantilli streaking down the boards to eventually ice the game. Fantilli, a noted Toronto boy who grew up cheering for Boston, gave twice the effort he usually does to beat ice his hometown team with two goals and an assist by the end of the night. Joseph Woll was good for a second straight game, too, stopping 27 of 30 shots and doing everything he could to keep the Leafs in the game.

The Blue Jackets have become a quiet thorn in the side of the Maple Leafs in the past few years, winning five of their last six games against Toronto. They don’t see each other all that often given that they’re in separate divisions, and nights like this render Toronto lucky that they don’t see each other more often.

Still, this is a game the Leafs can use to build positive momentum from despite the loss, which isn’t something that we’ve been able to say much this season.

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