Scott Laughton picked the perfect time to have one of his best games as a Toronto Maple Leaf.

The pesky two-way center made his triumphant return to Philadelphia for the first time since being traded last season by the Flyers, and was a huge x-factor for the Maple Leafs in their 2-1 overtime win. Laughton scored a late shorthanded goal in the third period to tie the game, played over three minutes on the penalty kill, which went a perfect three-for-three, but what may have been his most impressive stat was the fact he went 19-for-20 in the faceoff circle. Sounds like some familiarity with the opponent helped.

“Yeah, I knew some of their guys, like Dvorak and Couturier, they’re really good in the dot,” Laughton said. “So, you watch a little bit of video, you ask certain guys. I always ask John, Auston, and Roysy [Nic Roy] what they do against guys like that. I think we feed well off each other and try to use each other in those situations.”

Laughton was a 2012 first-round pick and spent parts of 12 seasons within the Flyers’ organization, and admitted that the start of the game got the best of him, emotionally.

“It was definitely an emotional start to the game,” Laughton said. “Probably took me a period to get going. A lot of emotions run through you, I don’t know if I was expecting them. Standing on the blueline, getting the start was a nice touch. Then it all floods back to you, most of the memories here, all the people that helped you. It was an emotional start, and then once the game gets going, it’s game on.”

Laughton received a wonderful video tribute and standing ovation from the Flyers’ faithful, but as he mentioned, once the puck dropped, it was just hockey. But you could tell this wasn’t just another game and meant a lot to Laughton, who meant a lot to the Flyers organization. Laughton joked before the game how his close buddy and former teammate Travis Konecny was ‘a big rat’, and ironically enough, both players scored and were key contributors in this close-checking affair.

“It’s weird how that works out sometimes, kind of same spot in the net too. It’s weird how it plays out.”

Both Laughton and Konecny scored high blocker side and remain extremely close off the ice. As far as the Maple Leafs are concerned, they love to see Laughton elevate his game, as it was an inconsistent start to his tenure as a Leaf, but of late, Laughton has turned up his game and is contributing in all three zones. With the second half of the season upon us, Laughton knows how important each game is from here on out.

While all the attention may have been on Laughton before, and during most of the game, all eyes turned to Easton Cowan in overtime. The speedy winger had one breakaway he’d like back, but was given a chance at redemption, and after a wonderful feed from John Tavares, hit the back of the net to send the Leafs home with two points. Laughton raved about Cowan after the game and it’s quite obvious how much of an impact the 20-year-old is having on the hockey club.

“He’s awesome, he’s great to be around. He’s an unbelievable teammate, he’s got great rhythm. he’s just fun to be around. He’s an awesome kid and I’m happy for him.”

The vibes are high as the Leafs return home Saturday night to faceoff against the Vancouver Canucks. They’ll need another big night from their bottom six, and they certainly hope Laughton can bottle up the same emotion and be an x-factor once again against the Canucks.