Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner scored a goal that he will forever look back on fondly for a multitude of reasons.

Not only did it give his team the lead in the late stages of a Game 2 win over the Florida Panthers to give his team a 2-0 lead in the series, but it was also his first goal since the birth of his son Miles on Sunday. It was another feather in his cap over what has amounted to a memorable birthday week, as he turned 28 on the day of Game 1.

“ It’s really special. My wife was a warrior all week,” Marner said to Sportsnet’s Kyle Bukaukas after the game. “ It’s a special one for sure. I can’t wait to get home and give him a kiss.”

It may have been his only point of the game, but it was no doubt a big one. Marner’s goal came on the shift immediately after Anton Lundell tied it up early in the third period, which restored the lead 17 seconds after losing it. From there, he did his job with his linemates to keep the Panthers at bay while holding on to the one-goal lead.

Marner added the initials of his son on his stick tape as a way to keep himself focused in high-intensity games, just like Game 2.

“ Just calmness. I try to stay calm as much as I can throughout games,” Marner said about the significance of the initials. “It’s always a rollercoaster ride. There’s always stuff going on, stuff you can’t predict happening.  I’ve always had the Z on my stick and my gloves, and now I’m adding the M to it just for my son.  I’m trying to play for him, and it’s a cool thing to see it during games and just calm myself down, just take a deep breath, just relax, go out there and try and do my thing.”

That calmness certainly helped keep Marner and his teammates focused on the task at hand while not getting too discouraged at the setbacks. Leafs teams of seasons past may have buckled when the going got tough and momentum to a halt, but these playoffs have seen them instead keep the pedal to the metal despite facing a roadblock.

“ We’re playing a hell of a hockey team over there. They’re gonna come with everything, especially when they’re down goals,” he said. “ For us, it’s just trying to stay even keel through it all, trying to just focus on your next shift. You can’t change anything in the past, so just stay in the present, stay in the moment, go out there and try and do your thing. And luckily enough, I threw a puck on net and went in.”

It certainly helps to have the guidance of head coach Craig Berube keeping the players in check while also ensuring they stay even-keeled when things start to get frantic. But at the end of the day, the players are doing what they need to do, and Marner is one such player leading the charge at both ends of the ice.

Not that he needed the extra motivation, but having a son has certainly helped give him that extra kick in his step and it was reflected in the big goal he scored in Game 2.

“A lot of good stuff is happening in his life. Obviously, a huge goal tonight,” Berube said. “Mitch is a great player. We all know that. Very intelligent player, plays extremely well on both sides of the puck, and touches all areas of the game for ya. But he does have the ability to make something happen when it counts. That was the 4 Nations play to McDavid, and then tonight with the big goal. That is what we need out of these guys.”