Auston Matthews scored for the fourth game in a row and also had an assist in the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 5-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday at Scotiabank Arena.
This goal was Matthews’ eighth in his last nine games since coming back after missing six games because of an upper-body injury.
“It’s been feeling better each night,” Matthews said. “Just getting back in a rhythm and playing every night helps me settle back into the season after the time off. Our line has been playing well, chasing pucks, attacking offensively, and being solid defensively, so we want to keep this momentum going.”
Matthew Knies scored two goals and got one assist, while Mitch Marner had one goal and two assists for the Maple Leafs (30-16-2), who have won three games in a row and eight out of their last 11. Goalie Joseph Woll made 27 saves.
“Our first period was really good,” said Toronto coach Craig Berube. “We came out with the right mindset. I thought we played a strong first period. Tampa Bay pushed back in the second, getting some good chances, but Woll was great. I liked our game overall.”
Nick Paul scored twice, Darren Raddysh had one goal and one assist, and Nikita Kucherov had an assist, extending his point streak to nine games for the Lightning (25-17-3). Tampa Bay had won two straight games and five of the last seven. Victor Hedman recorded two assists, and goalie Jonas Johansson made 23 saves.
“We’ve talked about starting well for a while, and it’s tough when you’re chasing the game,” said Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper. “We’ve been playing two-period games lately, sometimes getting away with it, but not tonight. Against a good team like Toronto, you won’t get away with that.”
Matthews gave Toronto a 1-0 lead at 4:06 of the first period when he scored on a 2-on-1 with Marner. Matthews shot between Johansson’s legs from just below the left face-off circle. This goal marked Matthews’ fifth in his four-game streak.
Woll kept the lead at 1-0 with a glove save on Paul’s shot from the right face-off circle at 12:42 of the first period. Then, at 36 seconds into the second period, he stopped Victor Hedman’s shot from the high slot with his right pad.
Paul redirects it past Woll to cut the deficit to 2-1 in the 2nd“Woll played great,” said William Nylander. “He made a couple of huge saves early to keep us in the lead.”
Nylander made it 2-0 for the Maple Leafs at 13:45 of the second period when he scored on a breakaway, shooting blocker side for his fourth goal in three games.
Paul answered for Tampa Bay, making it 2-1 at 16:07 by deflecting a shot from Raddysh.
Knies extended Toronto’s lead to 3-1 at 19:37 of the second period when he beat the Lightning defense, received a pass from Marner, and shot past Johansson’s blocker from the slot.
“I thought our start was much better tonight than in some of our previous games,” Matthews said. “It’s a good team, and they weren’t going to quit. I’m happy with how we responded after giving up goals.”
Matthews almost scored a “Michigan”-style goal at 3:38 of the third period. He attempted a lacrosse-style shot but Johansson quickly blocked it with his right shoulder.
“I didn’t see any other option,” Matthews explained. “The puck was rolling, and it was the start of the period, so my tape was fresh. I almost had it. I stopped attempting those a few years ago, but I thought it was worth a try.”
Raddysh made it 3-2 at 8:07 with a shot through traffic from the top of the right circle.
“We got ourselves behind,” Paul said. “We played well in the second period, but they ended up scoring more, especially at the end of the period. We fought back, but we have to learn how to finish, starting with a better first period.”
Knies made it 4-2 for Toronto at 10:09 with a power-play goal, after picking up a rebound from Marner’s shot and scoring past Johansson’s left pad.
“The first time I was here, it was an adjustment to playing against bigger and stronger players, but practicing with our guys has helped me improve, and my net-front play is getting better,” Knies said.
Paul scored again for Tampa Bay on the power play at 12:05, redirecting a shot from Brandon Hagel to make it 4-3. However, Marner sealed the win with an empty-net goal at 18:55, giving the Maple Leafs a 5-3 victory.
