Maple Leafs rally past Jets, 3-2, after Matthews hurt
TORONTO — Down two goals and their best player through 40 minutes, the Toronto Maple Leafs talked in the second intermission about getting back to what has made them successful early on this season.
That speed and puck pursuit eventually proved to be the difference against a weary opponent Saturday.
Kasperi Kapanen scored the winner with 2:45 left in regulation after Jake Gardiner tied the game 26 seconds earlier as the Leafs overcame the loss of star centre Auston Matthews and a 2-0 deficit in the third period to beat the Winnipeg Jets, 3-2, in National Hockey League action.
“We hadn’t been playing the game we wanted to,” said winger Mitch Marner, who set up Toronto’s first two goals. “We knew we needed to get pucks in, we needed to be quicker on our feet.
“That’s when we’re at our best.”
Nazem Kadri had the other goal for Toronto (8-3-0), which got
22 stops from Frederik Andersen as the Leafs snapped a threegame losing streak at home.
Matthews left the game early in the second with a shoulder injury and did not return. Leafs head coach Mike Babcock said the 21-year-old is set be re-evaluated on Monday and will not play that night against the Calgary Flames.
“It’s tough,” Marner added. “He’s a big part of this team, everyone knows that. Hopefully we get him back soon.”
Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele replied for Winnipeg (7-4-1). Connor Hellebuyck made 28 saves.
Toronto beat the Jets 4-2 on Wednesday in Winnipeg to snap a two-game slide. Winnipeg was playing its third game in four nights following Friday’s 2-1 road victory over the Detroit Red Wings.
The Jets, who were also playing for the eighth time in two weeks, left immediately after the loss for Finland, where they will battle the Florida Panthers in Helsinki on Thursday and Friday.
“It got away from us in the third,” Winnipeg defenceman Jacob Trouba said.
“They were on us in the defensive zone, they caused the turnovers.”
Trailing 2-0 through two periods, Kadri got Toronto within one at 6:33 of the third off a nice feed from Marner for his second goal of the season and second in as many games after going nine straight without one to open the schedule.
“We never feel like we’re down and out,” said Kadri, who was reunited with Marner and Patrick Marleau when Matthews went down.
“We scored and that got the ball rolling.”
Hellebuyck made a couple of nice stops to keep his team ahead, but could do nothing on the equalizer as Gardiner, who scored his first the season in the 500th game of his career, jumped into the slot and beat the Jets netminder upstairs with 3:11 left.
“If you’re down a goal you’re cheating a little bit harder for offence,” said Gardiner, whose parents were in the building.