EditorsNote: Trimmed headline; Updates Campbells saves to 19 in 2nd graf; Changed to different stat in next-to-last graf
John Tavares and Mitch Marner both netted one goal and one help and Auston Matthews became the leagues first gamer to reach the 40-goal mark as the host Toronto Maple Leafs utilized a four-goal first period en path to a 5-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.
Alex Galchenyuk and Pierre Engvall also scored for the Maple Leafs (34-13-6, 74 points), who lead the North Division. Goaltender Jack Campbell made 19 conserves in the win.
Cole Caufield and Artturi Lehkonen replied for the Canadiens (24-20-9, 57 points), who have lost two straight but still hold 4th location in the division. Goalie Cayden Primeau was hooked after giving up 4 objectives on 15 shots in the first duration. Jake Allen stopped 19 shots in relief.
Toronto has actually won six of nine meetings (6-2-1) in between the groups this season, with the final clash coming Saturday.
Goalie Cayden Primeau was hooked after surrendering 4 goals on 15 shots in the very first period. Jake Allen stopped 19 shots in relief.
Lehkonen made it a 4-2 video game early in the third period by cashing in a rebound after Tyler Toffolis shot was stopped.
Matthews restored the three-goal lead with less than 5 minutes remaining– and reached 40 objectives for the 2nd time in his five-year profession.
The video game was a double disappointment for the Canadiens, as forward Phil Danault entrusted an undisclosed injury after tangling with teammate Corey Perry.
— Field Level Media
The Maple Leafs, who had a five-game winning streak snapped in an overtime loss to Montreal on Monday, took the lead 16 seconds into the video game when Galchenyuk opened the scoring on the video games very first shot. Thanks to his teams forecheck, Galchenyuk got the puck in the high slot and wired a backhand shot for his second objective in 3 video games.
Tavares doubled the lead at the 3:24 mark when he created a turnover and after that buried the rebound after Jake Muzzins shot was stopped. Then, Engvall made it a 3-0 video game past the midway point of the opening frame by transforming a sharp-angled rebound after his first shot was stopped.
Marners 19th tally of the season from an awesome break with 2:39 staying in the duration capped the dominating opening frame.
The Canadiens, who saw a three-game winning streak snapped Wednesday in Ottawa, got on the board when Caufield netted his 3rd objective in just his seventh NHL game, at 13:30 of the middle period. Lehkonen made it a 4-2 game early in the 3rd period by cashing in a rebound after Tyler Toffolis shot was stopped. It was Lehkonens sixth objective of the season.
