Despite Owning Play, Devils Lose to Leafs | GAME STORY

Here are some observations from the game:

• Palat said he’s been focused less on his own stats and more on creating space and scoring opportunities for his linemates Jesper Bratt and Jack Hughes. Palat has done a lot of the dirty work for those two, so it was nice to see him be the beneficiary on a pretty play from Bratt.

Bratt entered the zone and drew the attention of three Leafs players. No one picked up Palat above the opposite circle. Bratt fed him a perfect pass and Palat finished on the shot. That was his first goal in 11 games.

• Timo Meier pulled off one of the best defensive plays of the season for a forward against Toronto. The Devils were on a power play when the Leafs generated a 2-on-1 shorthanded try. The two Leafs? Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, two of the most dangerous offensive threats in the NHL. Meier, as the lone man back, stayed in between the two, then jumped all over Marner’s pass attempt to intercept, negating a even a shot.

• Nathan Bastian returned to the lineup for the first time since suffering a broken jaw on Nov. 1. He missed the last 16 games with the injury and returned to game action with a full-face shield.

Bastian certainly was running on adrenaline early. On his first shift he threw a big check on Chris Tanev into the boards. He then stole a puck in the neutral zone on a backcheck that created a 2-on-1 scoring chance. Bastian kept the puck and tried to go high but couldn’t beat Stolarz. The same physicality and another great scoring chance followed on his second shift.

"I really liked his first period. He was a big part of our energy," Keefe said. "His first shift he flies in on the forecheck and gets a good crack in on the defenseman. That was good. I liked his game today. it was a good first game and not an easy one to step back into."

• The Devils had about as good of an opening period as they could have asked for. They dominated zone time. They dominated play. The were suffocating in the defensive zone and bottled up the Maple Leafs’ high-powered star talent. The Devils outshot the Leafs, 15-1. So, what else could they have asked for? A goal. Despite the dominance, the game was 0-0 after 20 minutes.

"That was our best first period of the season, and it's noteven close," Keefe said.

The Maple Leafs wouldn't get their second shot of the game until the 5:46 mark of the second period.