Auston Matthews scored three goals for the second straight game and the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the visiting Minnesota Wild 7-4 on Saturday night.
William Nylander added two goals and an assist for the Maple Leafs, who have won their first two games of the season. Calle Jarnkrok had a goal and an assist and Tyler Bertuzzi also scored for Toronto. Mitchell Marner, Morgan Rielly and John Tavares each had two assists.
Ryan Hartman, Matt Boldy, Marco Rossi and Brandon Duhaime scored for the Wild, who have split their first two games.
Ilya Samsonov stopped 28 shots for Toronto, and Filip Gustavsson made 26 saves for Minnesota.
Minnesota opened the scoring at 9:32 of the first period. A shot by Kirill Kaprizov deflected off the skate of Matthews and then off the skate of Hartman.
Matthews, who also scored three goals in Wednesday’s season opener, tied the game at 10:54 of the first period. After a Toronto dump-in off a faceoff at the blue line, Marner fed Matthews in the low slot.
Matthews scored again at 12:35 of the first on a shot from a sharp angle that deflected off Gustavsson’s skate during a four-on-three Toronto power play. Jon Merrill was off for interference.
Nylander scored at 19:37 after swooping from the left wing to the front of the net.
Minnesota had a 13-12 edge in shots on goal after the first period.
Bertuzzi scored from the edge of the crease at 3:35 of the second period during a power play. Alex Goligoski was off for tripping.
Minnesota scored the next two goals. Boldy tallied from the left circle at 4:09 of the second, and Rossi scored his first career NHL goal off a rebound at 9:51.
Minnesota led 22-21 in shots on goal after the second period.
Samsonov was forced to make some big saves early in the third period as the Wild pressed.
Jarnkrok scored at 9:54 of the third period from close range. Matthews scored on a wrap-around at 10:25, and Nylander added his third of the season at 12:14.
Duhaime scored on a backhand at 17:32 of the third.
–Field Level Media
