Tag: Toronto Maple Leafs

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Maple Leafs look to lean on their goalie in matchup against Ducks

Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL)

The Toronto Maple Leafs know they were lucky to win on Tuesday, thanks to goaltender Anthony Stolarz, and they plan to improve when they play the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night.

Stolarz made 38 saves against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday, and captain Auston Matthews scored in overtime to give Toronto a 2-1 win. The result didn’t really match how the game went. New Jersey had 16 shots to Toronto’s one in the first period and ended up with 39 shots to 17 for the game.

The Devils only scored once, in the second period, while Toronto tied the game in the third with a short-handed goal by Pontus Holmberg.

“It was a great goal for us,” said Toronto coach Craig Berube about Holmberg’s goal. “We had more chances short-handed than we did five-on-five and the power play tonight. I mean, our short-handed chances were good. I thought we created some opportunities there, and that was a big goal.”

Stolarz, who grew up in Edison, N.J., said, “I grew up a Devils fan so anytime you can beat your childhood team, it’s exciting.”

“Without (Stolarz), it’s not even close,” said Toronto defenseman Chris Tanev, who had an assist and five blocked shots. “So, big props to him. Better third (period) for us. But the first two were god-awful. So, thankfully, he made a key number of saves that allowed us to keep it 1-0.”

Toronto avoided a three-game losing streak when Matthews scored his 13th career overtime goal, which is one short of Mats Sundin’s franchise record.

“In the first five minutes of the game, they had seven shots, so I think when a team is going to pepper you pretty early on and kind of get you in a groove, it’s kind of up to you to stay in there and just keep battling,” Stolarz said.

Berube wasn’t worried about how the win came.

Anaheim Ducks (NHL)

“It’s one of those games,” Berube said. “I mean, I’m not really going to read too much into it. I’m not going to talk about it too much. Our goalie was excellent. We found a way to get two points. That’s all that matters.”

The Ducks are struggling, with a 0-3-1 record in their last four games after losing 5-1 to the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday, their second game of a four-game road trip.

Cutter Gauthier scored for the Ducks, and John Gibson made 29 saves. Anaheim’s Leo Carlsson (upper-body injury) returned on Wednesday after missing six games.

“Leo is a dynamic player,” Ducks coach Greg Cronin said. “He’s got the size and the length and the skill. Anytime you get somebody back in the lineup like that, it’s going to add some offense to our team. And we’ve obviously struggled this year with the offensive part of the game, so I think that will give us a good boost.”

Carlsson, who has six goals and five assists in 21 games this season, played 13:35 against the Senators but didn’t have any shots on goal.

“We weren’t skating,” Cronin said. “I mean, they were jumping from the opening faceoff, they won faceoff battles, they won edge battles, they won puck battles. It’s hard to compete when you’re behind the puck.”

Toronto’s Max Domi (lower-body injury) returned on Tuesday after missing eight games. He had two shots on goal in 14:57 of ice time.

The Maple Leafs are 12-4-0 at home, with five wins in their last six games in Toronto. The Ducks are 5-4-3 on the road, and the current 0-1-1 start to the trip came after a 4-0-1 stretch away from home.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Auston Matthews scores in overtime to lead the Leafs past the Devils

Toronto Maple Leafs and New Jersey Devils

Auston Matthews scored 2:51 into overtime to help the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the New Jersey Devils 2-1 on Tuesday night in Newark, N.J.

Matthews pushed past Devils defenseman Brett Pesce on a partial breakaway and slid the puck past Jacob Markstrom to win the game. This goal was Matthews’ ninth of the season and his fourth in the last five games.

Pontus Holmberg of Toronto scored a short-handed goal in the third period, and New Jersey native Anthony Stolarz made 38 saves to help the Maple Leafs win.

Despite having only 16 shots compared to New Jersey’s 39, Toronto won its ninth straight road game against the Devils.

Ondrej Palat scored for the Devils in the second period, and Markstrom made 14 saves for New Jersey.

The Devils had a scare late in the second period when star player Jack Hughes was hit hard by Toronto’s Max Pacioretty. However, Hughes stayed in the game.

Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL)

New Jersey dominated the first period with a 16-1 advantage in shots but could not score. In the second period, they broke through at 7:16 when Jesper Bratt picked up a loose puck after a poke check by defenseman Morgan Rielly. Bratt passed to Palat, who scored from the slot for his fourth goal of the season and first since Nov. 12.

New Jersey kept the lead until 10:42 of the third period, when Connor Dewar cleared the puck from the defensive zone. Holmberg followed the play and scored his second goal of the season, tying the game.

Toronto’s Max Domi returned from an eight-game absence due to a lower-body injury and had two shots on goal.

New Jersey’s Nathan Bastian also made his return after missing 16 games due to a broken jaw and had three shots on goal.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

After a setback, Maple Leafs are ready to face the Devils on the road

Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL)

The Toronto Maple Leafs will try to avoid losing three straight games when they face their former head coach Sheldon Keefe and the New Jersey Devils in Newark, N.J., on Tuesday.

The Maple Leafs, who lost three games in a row (0-2-1) from Oct. 22-26, lost 3-1 to the Washington Capitals on Friday and 5-2 to the Pittsburgh Penguins the next day.

Mitch Marner scored and assisted on a goal on Saturday, raising his team-leading total for assists (28) and points (38). Team captain Auston Matthews also had a strong game, recording two assists against the Penguins.

Max Pacioretty, who was returning to the lineup after missing nearly a month due to a lower-body injury, struggled with penalties. He was called for two minor roughing penalties in the second period.

“I got to be probably smarter there. But, you know, the right intent is there,” Pacioretty said, per The Hockey News. “I just got to be a bit more disciplined.”

Pittsburgh took advantage of two power-play goals, which hurt the Maple Leafs despite their even-strength success. Toronto head coach Craig Berube shared his thoughts on Pacioretty’s return.

“I thought Max did a good job (Saturday) with them guys,” Berube said. “I thought he kind of maybe died off later on in the game. He hasn’t played in a while.”

William Nylander scored his team-leading 17th goal of the season on Saturday.

New Jersey Devils players celebrate after scoring

Pacioretty had scored one of Toronto’s three first-period goals in a 4-2 win over New Jersey on Oct. 10.

Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier scored for the Devils in that game, and both came close to scoring again in Sunday’s 4-0 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. Bratt had an apparent goal called off due to a high stick, and Meier’s goal was disallowed after the play was ruled over before the puck crossed the goal line.

New Jersey couldn’t break through former goaltender Scott Wedgewood on Sunday, marking their fifth shutout loss of the season.

“We didn’t skate (on Sunday). We didn’t win enough puck battles,” Keefe said. “They do a good job. They’re up tight on you, the gap is tight. We didn’t play through that well enough.”

Captain Nico Hischier had a stronger opinion on the team’s performance.

“The energy wasn’t there,” Hischier said, per The Hockey News. “It’s an individual thing. You have to find a way to bring life back to your game.

“When teams take our rush away, we have to find other ways to score. When we don’t have an answer, it’s not a good thing.”

Before the loss to the Avalanche, the Devils had won six of their previous eight games.

The Maple Leafs, meanwhile, had won seven of their last eight before losing their last two.

Bratt leads the Devils with 37 points (13 goals, 24 assists), while Jack Hughes has 35 points (11 goals, 24 assists). Nico Hischier leads the team with 15 goals.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Penguins edge past Maple Leafs with Michael Bunting’s goal in the 3rd period

Pittsburgh Penguins and Toronto Maple Leafs

Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust each scored a goal and provided an assist to help the Pittsburgh Penguins win 5-2 against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night.

Michael Bunting, Blake Lizotte, and Kris Letang also scored, and Tristan Jarry made 25 saves for the Penguins, who have won five of their last six games.

Mitch Marner had a goal and an assist, William Nylander also scored, Auston Matthews added two assists, and Joseph Woll made 27 saves for the Maple Leafs, who have lost two games in a row after winning three straight.

Bunting put the Penguins ahead 3-2 with a goal at 5:34 in the third period. On Pittsburgh’s fourth power play, Rust’s shot deflected off Toronto defenseman Conor Timmins’ skate and landed for Bunting, who scored with a one-timer.

Lizotte added an empty-net goal with 40 seconds left, increasing the lead to 4-2, and Letang followed with another empty-net goal 14 seconds later to make it 5-2.

Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL)

Rakell helped get the first power play of the game when Matthew Knies was called for holding. Rakell then tipped Matt Grzelcyk’s shot into the net for a 1-0 lead at 4:39 of the first period.

Toronto quickly tied the game 1-1 at 6:35. Jarry stopped Marner’s tip, but Marner recovered the rebound and scored his 10th goal of the season.

The Penguins regained the lead 2-1 at 14:15 when Sidney Crosby took a shot that missed the net but bounced off the end boards. Rust was there to score with a one-timer from the right circle.

The Maple Leafs evened it up 2-2 early in the second period at 2:32 when Nylander scored a one-timer on a power play, beating Jarry for his 17th goal of the season.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Leafs and Penguins look to rebound with strong performances

Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL)

The Toronto Maple Leafs, one of the top teams in the NHL, will have a chance to bounce back from a rare loss when they play the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night.

Toronto had been on a strong run, winning three games in a row and 10 of their last 12, which put them at the top of the Atlantic Division. However, they were stopped in a 3-1 home loss to the Washington Capitals on Friday.

The Penguins also faced a setback on Friday, losing 4-2 to the New York Rangers, which ended their four-game winning streak.

Before the Capitals game, the Maple Leafs had won five straight home games and set a franchise record with their eighth consecutive road victory.

The game was tied 1-1 until Washington’s Connor McMichael scored at 9:51 of the third period, followed by an empty-net goal from Aliaksei Protas in the last minute.

Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube said, “Instead of just going the other way with the puck, we brought it back too much tonight. It started from the first period on for the whole game. That eventually bit us and cost us. We didn’t play a north game, we didn’t play fast tonight. They were the better team. They deserved to win.”

The Capitals did a good job keeping Toronto’s Auston Matthews off the scoreboard. Matthews had missed nine games due to an upper-body injury but had returned to score against the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday and added two goals against the Nashville Predators on Wednesday.

Mitch Marner, the Maple Leafs’ right winger, had his eight-game point streak end against the Capitals. During the streak, he had five goals and 11 assists.

Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates after scoring

Marner averages at least a point a game against 24 of the 32 teams in the NHL, including the Penguins. He has 22 points (five goals, 17 assists) in 21 games against Pittsburgh.

Like the Maple Leafs, the Penguins struggled in the third period on Friday. Reilly Smith of the Rangers scored the game-winning goal at 9:53 of the third period, and Vincent Trocheck added an insurance goal at 18:22.

Penguins goalie Alex Nedeljkovic made 28 saves against the Rangers, but Tristan Jarry is expected to start against the Maple Leafs. Jarry has a 5-3-0 record against Toronto, with a .909 save percentage and 2.86 goals-against average. His most recent game against the Leafs was on Dec. 16, 2023, when he allowed four goals on 14 shots and was pulled in the second period during a 7-0 loss.

Blake Lizotte scored the first goal against the Rangers, continuing his strong performance in his first season with the Penguins. He has five goals in 12 games, compared to seven goals in 62 games with the Los Angeles Kings last season.

Philip Tomasino also scored his third goal in five games for Pittsburgh since being traded from the Predators on Nov. 25 for a fourth-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.

On Saturday, Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan will coach his 700th game with the franchise. He will become the 21st person to coach at least 700 games for a single NHL team.

Sullivan said, “I am so privileged to have the opportunity to coach here in Pittsburgh. It’s a first-class organization. Been through a couple of ownership groups. Both groups bring such first-class leadership to what we do here.”

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NHL (National Hockey League)

NHL roundup: Capitals set franchise record with road victory over Leafs

Washington Capitals (NHL)

Connor McMichael scored the go-ahead goal in the third period, and the Washington Capitals defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 on Friday night, setting a franchise record with their eighth consecutive road win.

Nic Dowd added a goal and an assist, and Aliaksei Protas (empty-net) also scored for Washington, which has won five of its last six games (5-0-1). Charlie Lindgren made 20 saves in the first game of a three-game road trip.

John Tavares scored for Toronto, which had its three-game winning streak snapped at the end of a three-game homestand. Anthony Stolarz made 23 saves.

In their first meeting this season, the Maple Leafs defeated the Capitals 4-3 in overtime on Nov. 13.

Devils 3, Kraken 2

Timo Meier’s 200th career NHL goal was the game-winner as New Jersey beat Seattle in Newark, N.J.

Jesper Bratt had a goal and an assist, and Luke Hughes also scored for the Devils, who won their second straight game and their sixth in eight games. Jack Hughes had two assists, and New Jersey goalie Jacob Markstrom made 17 saves.

Andre Burakovsky and Shane Wright scored for Seattle, which saw its two-game winning streak come to an end. Philipp Grubauer made 33 saves but took the loss.

Seattle Kraken and New York Islanders

Rangers 4, Penguins 2

Reilly Smith scored the go-ahead goal with 10:07 left in the third period, leading New York to a win over visiting Pittsburgh.

The Rangers earned their second win in eight games (2-6-0) after trading their captain, defenseman Jacob Trouba, to the Anaheim Ducks earlier in the day. New York also signed goalie Igor Shesterkin to an eight-year contract extension.

Blake Lizotte and Philip Tomasino scored for Pittsburgh, which had its four-game winning streak stopped.

Golden Knights 3, Stars 2

Adin Hill made 38 saves, and Jack Eichel and Tomas Hertl scored power-play goals, leading Vegas to a 3-2 win over Dallas for their third straight victory.

Shea Theodore had two assists, and Nicolas Roy also scored for the Pacific Division-leading Golden Knights, who are 11-3-0 at home. Hill improved to 12-4-2 this season, including 10-2-2 in his last 14 starts.

Mason Marchment and Mavrik Bourque scored for Dallas, which lost its second straight game on a 1-2-0 western road trip. Jake Oettinger made 25 saves for the Stars, who committed six minor penalties (including one double minor).

Canucks 5, Blue Jackets 2

Pius Suter scored twice in the third period, and Brock Boeser had a goal and an assist as Vancouver came back from a two-goal deficit to defeat Columbus.

Kiefer Sherwood and Jake DeBrusk also scored for the Canucks, who are on a 5-1-1 streak. Vancouver goalie Kevin Lankinen made 30 saves, and Quinn Hughes had two assists.

Mathieu Olivier and Damon Severson scored for the Blue Jackets, who are on a three-game losing streak. Columbus goalie Elvis Merzlikins made 12 saves.

Vancouver Canucks and Columbus Blue Jackets

Wild 5, Ducks 1

Marco Rossi scored two goals and added an assist as Minnesota extended its winning streak to a season-high five games with a victory over Anaheim.

Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy each scored a goal and had two assists, and Yakov Trenin also scored for the Wild, who are 17-1-0 in their last 18 games against the Ducks and 12-2-0 in their last 14 visits to Anaheim.

Brock McGinn scored for Anaheim, which has lost three of its last four games (1-3-0). John Gibson stopped 28 shots but is now 0-5-3 in his last eight starts against the Wild.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

The Capitals defeat the Leafs to set a franchise record with their eighth consecutive road win

Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs

Connor McMichael scored the go-ahead goal in the third period, and the Washington Capitals won 3-1 against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday night, setting a franchise record with their eighth straight road victory.

Nic Dowd had a goal and an assist, while Aliaksei Protas added an empty-net goal for Washington, who has won five of their last six games (5-0-1). Charlie Lindgren made 20 saves in the first game of a three-game road trip.

John Tavares scored for the Maple Leafs, who saw their three-game winning streak come to an end during the final game of their homestand. Anthony Stolarz made 23 saves in goal.

Both teams took two minor penalties in the scoreless first period.

Dowd deflected a shot from Matt Roy at 1:06 in the second period to score his eighth goal of the season. This marked Dowd’s second consecutive game with a goal.

Less than three minutes later, Toronto’s William Nylander missed a breakaway attempt when his backhand shot went wide.

Tavares did not miss on his breakaway at 11:31 in the second period, scoring his 12th goal of the season with a backhand shot after a long pass from Chris Tanev.

Chicago Blackhawks and Toronto Maple Leafs

Toronto nearly took the lead when Auston Matthews hit the crossbar with a 44-foot wrist shot at 12:47 in the second period.

Washington went on a power play at 3:19 in the third period but did not get a shot on goal.

McMichael scored his 15th goal of the season after Pierre-Luc Dubois’ shot was saved, and the rebound hit an official behind the net and bounced toward the goal.

Lindgren made key saves at 18:36 and 18:46 as Toronto put pressure on with Stolarz pulled for an extra attacker.

Protas sealed the win with his ninth goal of the season, scoring into an empty net with 57 seconds left in the game.

The Maple Leafs had won 4-3 in overtime against the Capitals on Nov. 13 in their first meeting of the season.

Toronto defenseman Jake McCabe missed his third straight game due to an upper-body injury.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Hot Maple Leafs edge struggling Predators

Toronto Maple Leafs and Nashville Predators

Auston Matthews scored two goals early in the third period, leading the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 3-2 victory over the Nashville Predators on Wednesday night.

William Nylander also found the net for the Maple Leafs, who have now won three consecutive games and 10 of their last 12. Mitchell Marner added three assists in the win.

Joseph Woll made 22 saves for Toronto.

For Nashville, Jonathan Marchessault and Mark Jankowski scored. The Predators have now lost five straight games, with three of those losses coming in overtime. They’ve scored two goals in each of their last five losses. Juuse Saros stopped 25 shots for the Predators.

Nashville took the lead early in the first period at 5:26 when Marchessault’s long shot bounced off the end barrier, came back over the net, and he knocked it in for his fifth goal of the season, marking his 500th career point. Roman Josi assisted on the goal, which followed a giveaway by Matthews.

Matthews later hit the goal post with a shot in the period.

Nashville Predators (NHL)

Josi was shaken up early in the second period after blocking a shot but returned to the game shortly afterward.

Both teams had chances late in the scoreless second period.

Matthews tied the game just 31 seconds into the third period, scoring from the slot on a pass from Marner. Morgan Rielly also assisted on the play.

Matthews then gave Toronto the lead at 2:29 of the third period with his eighth goal of the season, scoring on a backhand from the low slot after another pass from Marner. Matthews has now scored three goals in the last three games after missing nine games due to an upper-body injury.

Nylander added another for Toronto at 5:06 with a 19-foot wrist shot during a five-on-three power play, bringing his season total to 16 goals.

Jankowski scored for Nashville at 16:38 of the third period, getting his first goal of the season on a backhand that went in off the post.

Toronto defenseman Jake McCabe missed his second consecutive game with an upper-body injury after being hit by a puck in the side of the head during a 5-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.

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NBA (Basketball)

The Blackhawks aim to end their losing streak as they face the Bruins

Chicago Blackhawks and Toronto Maple Leafs

The Chicago Blackhawks are on their third losing streak of at least three games this season, and it’s been a tough stretch recently.

The Blackhawks will return home on Wednesday night to play the Boston Bruins after suffering back-to-back losses by three goals to the Columbus Blue Jackets and Toronto Maple Leafs.

On Monday, an empty-net goal late in the third period sealed a 4-1 victory for the Maple Leafs.

“Second and third period, we created chances,” said Chicago forward Lukas Reichel. “It wasn’t Grade A, but we were in the offensive zone buzzing, we went to the net, but unfortunately we didn’t get a good bounce to put (enough) in.

“We just have to find ways to win the game when it’s 2-1 or when we are down one goal. It’s pretty tough right now.”

Reichel scored the only goal for Chicago on Monday, cutting the deficit to 2-1 at 3:26 of the third period, but the Maple Leafs’ Fraser Minten answered just 21 seconds later, putting Toronto up by two goals again.

“We had some great chances. We worked them down low pretty good. That was the game plan,” said Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson. “Unfortunately, we just didn’t connect on a few of them. There were a couple loose pucks in there that we couldn’t get our hands on. … There were a couple tough bounces on us tonight.”

The Bruins will look to extend their winning streak to three games as they continue a busy stretch of playing three games in four days.

Dallas Stars and Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)

Boston defeated the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 on Tuesday, with Pavel Zacha scoring in overtime after a pass from David Pastrnak at 2:15.

“It’s really important,” said Zacha. “It’s one of those games where you have to win those if you want to have a good season. So that was something. We had a good penalty kill, something we can build on, and now we have to play better the next game.”

Boston improved to 5-2-0 since Joe Sacco became the interim coach after Jim Montgomery was fired last month. Zacha credited a shift in mindset for helping the Bruins build momentum.

“I think there’s been a little more shot volume, a little more structure in the defensive zone,” he said. “I think that has helped this team be really good defensively and then go from there. I think that’s working for us.”

Nikita Zadorov, who scored Boston’s first goal on Tuesday, added, “I think we’re playing with passion. I think we’re playing with pride. I think we’re playing for each other. I thought we were disconnected before. That’s what wasn’t working. I don’t think we fixed much Xs and Os.”

The Blackhawks’ leading scorer, Connor Bedard (19 points), saw his three-game point streak come to an end against the Maple Leafs.

Bedard scored one goal and had a minus-1 rating in two games against the Bruins last season.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Maple Leafs withstand Lightning’s late comeback attempt

Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning

Chris Tanev scored a goal and added an assist as the Toronto Maple Leafs, visiting Tampa Bay, jumped to a four-goal lead and held on to win 5-3 on Saturday night.

Matthew Knies, Nicholas Robertson, John Tavares, and William Nylander also scored for Toronto, which has won eight out of its last 10 games (8-2-0) and finished November with a record of 8-3-1, even though they were missing their top scorer, Auston Matthews, for most of the month.

Matthews returned after missing nine games due to an upper-body injury and contributed two assists. Mitch Marner also had two assists.

Joseph Woll, the Leafs’ goaltender, made 38 saves and has now won five consecutive starts.

Jake McCabe, who played his 600th NHL game, was hit in the head by a shot from Tampa Bay’s Nick Perbix in the second period and did not return to the game.

In the third period, Tampa Bay’s Michael Eyssimont, Jake Guentzel, and Cam Atkinson scored goals — the last two while Tampa Bay’s goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy was pulled for an extra skater. However, Nylander sealed the win with an empty-net goal. Victor Hedman and Brandon Hagel each recorded two assists.

Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL)

Vasilevskiy made 24 saves for Tampa Bay, which finished November with a 5-6-2 record.

The Lightning played without star playmaker Nikita Kucherov, who was out with an undisclosed injury.

In a fast-paced first period, Tampa Bay controlled most of the play, but the Leafs scored on their first shot when Knies deflected Tanev’s blast for his ninth goal at 7:13.

Tanev scored his first goal of the season at 8:06, putting Toronto ahead 2-0. Robertson then made it 3-0 just 33 seconds later, scoring his second goal of the season from the left circle. It was Robertson’s first goal in 13 games.

Tavares extended the lead to 4-0, backhanding a loose puck with 1:01 left in the second period for his 10th goal.

In the third, Eyssimont scored at 11:21, and Guentzel added his 10th goal at 15:19, cutting the Lightning’s deficit to 4-2.

Hedman earned his 589th assist on Guentzel’s goal, setting a new franchise record for assists, passing Martin St. Louis.

Atkinson’s power-play goal at 17:38 made it 4-3, but Nylander scored into the empty net at 18:44 for his 15th goal to finish the game.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Auston Matthews, the captain of the Maple Leafs, is back after being sidelined for 9 games

Auston Matthews and Nick Perbix duel for the puck in the 3rd period

Auston Matthews, the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, made his return to the team on Saturday after missing nine games due to an upper-body injury. Matthews was activated from the injured reserve before the game against the Tampa Bay Lightning and recorded two assists. His last game was on November 3 against Minnesota.

“I felt fine, I think as the game went on I felt a little bit better,” Matthews said. “I still felt a little bit rusty, but I thought our line played pretty solid all around and simple for the most part.”

In his career, Matthews now has 13 goals and six assists in 15 games after missing time. Toronto holds a 9-3-3 record in those games.

“Obviously, it feels good to chip in on some goals there, especially early on,” he said. “I just want to continue to go forward and get better each game.”

Auston Matthews and Ryan McDonagh duel for the puck in the 3rd period

Besides his two assists, Matthews won 16 out of 24 faceoffs, had a plus-2 rating, two shots on goal, and two takeaways.

“I thought he was strong on pucks and moved well out there,” said Toronto coach Craig Berube. “He did a lot of good things.”

Before Matthews’ injury, the Maple Leafs had a record of 7-2 without him.

Prior to getting injured, Matthews had five goals and six assists in 13 games. Although he was listed as day-to-day throughout his recovery, it was later revealed that he had traveled to Germany to work with a specialist to help prevent the injury from happening again once he returned.

Matthews has already been selected for the Team USA roster for the Four Nations Faceoff, set for February.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Streaks clash as struggling Panthers set to face red-hot Maple Leafs

Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL)

The Toronto Maple Leafs are on a four-game winning streak, while the Florida Panthers are on a four-game losing streak.

In their last eight games, Toronto has won seven, while Florida has only won one out of its last seven.

On Wednesday, the Panthers will host the Leafs in Sunrise, Florida, and both teams will be tested based on their current streaks.

Strangely, Toronto has been on this hot streak without their captain, seven-time All-Star Auston Matthews, who has missed games due to an upper-body injury. Matthews had led the league in goals in three of the past four seasons.

Leafs forward John Tavares said, “Don’t get me wrong — we want Auston back as soon as possible, but it’s just about believing in the group and the depth we have. Everyone is a part of it.”

Mitch Marner has stepped up, leading Toronto in assists (20) and points (28), while William Nylander leads the team in goals (14). Tavares himself has 20 points, ranking third behind Marner and Nylander. Marner has been especially hot, with a four-game multi-point streak, during which he scored four goals and added four assists.

Matthew Tkachuk
Matthew Tkachuk – Florida Panthers

Tavares praised Marner, saying, “He’s an elite player. He makes plays. He does so many good things without the puck. He plays in all situations, and he brings an element to our locker room that is unique. We’re lucky to have him.”

In goal, Toronto has been strong with a duo of Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll. Stolarz, who played for the Panthers last season, has been excellent with a 7-3-2 record, a .927 save percentage, and a 2.18 goals-against average. Woll is 5-2-0 with a .922 save percentage and a 2.00 goals-against average.

Florida is expected to start goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, who was rested in Monday’s 4-1 loss to Washington. Bobrovsky is 9-5-1 with an .885 save percentage and a 3.18 goals-against average. He has a 13-8-1 record with a .904 save percentage and a 2.82 GAA in his career against Toronto.

In that loss to Washington, Panthers forward Sam Reinhart had his 13-game point streak snapped, which was the longest in the NHL this season. Reinhart, who started the week tied for the league lead in goals (16), also leads the Panthers in points (31). He has 11 goals and eight assists over his last 14 games.

With star players like Bobrovsky, Reinhart, Aleksander Barkov, and Matthew Tkachuk, coach Paul Maurice is still confident in his team but acknowledges that “there’s a piece of our game that’s missing right now, and we’re going to have to find it.”

Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola agreed, saying, “We’re a little bit off.” Backup goalie Spencer Knight expressed frustration but remains hopeful: “We’ve done a lot of things right. We’re working hard. Everyone is buying in. Every team in this league is good. Anyone can beat anyone.”