Auston Matthews and William Nylander, returning from injury, scored in a shootout as the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 Saturday in a battle between two struggling Canadian teams.
Matthews had a chance to win the game in three-on-three overtime when he was awarded a penalty shot after Conor Garland was called for hooking but Vancouver goaltender Nikita Tolopilo made the save.
Nicolas Roy and Max Domi scored for Toronto (25-21-9), which snapped a six-game losing streak.
Jonathan Lekkerimaki and Tom Willander scored for Vancouver (18-31-6). The Canucks have two wins in their last 17 games.
Joseph Woll made 28 saves for Toronto, while Tolopilo stopped 39 shot for Vancouver.
After a scoreless first period the teams scored three times in the second.
Lekkerimaki gave Vancouver the lead at 1:55 of the period. He took Liam Ohgren’s pass from the boards and fired a shot past Woll’s stick side for his second goal of the season. Roy tied the game at 13:34 of the second with a shot from the faceoff circle. Just 71 seconds later Vancouver’s Evander Kane crossed the blue line and sent a pass across the ice to Willander. The puck went off Willander’s skate, onto his stick and he beat Woll with a shot under his blocker.
Domi tied the game early in the third with a shot that hit Tolopilo’s shoulder then rolled over his back into the net.
TAKEAWAYS
Canucks: The Canucks were outshot 18-5 in the third period. … Lekkerimaki was playing in his 11th game. His other goal came in the opening game of the season. … Forward Brock Boeser missed his third game under concussion protocol.
Maple Leafs: Roy’s goal was his first in 16 games. … Defenceman Morgan Rielly left the game in the second period with an upper-body injury. … Nylander returned to the lineup after missing seven games with a groin injury. … Defenceman Marshall Rifai dressed for his first game with the Leafs since Feb. 21, 2024. He had wrist surgery in September after an injury in a pre-season game.
KEY MOMENT
Elias Pettersson looked to have given Vancouver a 2-0 lead seven minutes into the second period but Garland was called for goaltender interference.
KEY STAT
Vancouver has just six home wins this year and hasn’t won consecutive games at Rogers Arena all season.
UP NEXT
Maple Leafs: Visit the Calgary Flames on Monday.
